Dave  Porter 
atStarRanch 


UC-NRLF 


Edward  Stratemeyer 


As  DAVE  CLUCKED  AGAIN,  HERO  SHOT  AHEAD.  —  Page  121. 


Dave  ipotter  Serfes 


DAVE  POETEE  AT  STAE  EANCH 


OR 


THE  COWBOY'S  SECRET 


BY 

EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  "  The  Gun  Club  Boys  of  Lakeport,' 

"Old  Glory  Series,"  "Colonial  Series," 

"  Pan- American  Series,"  etc 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  LTLE   T.    HAMMOND 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP,    LEE    &    SHEPARD   CO. 

1930 


COPYRIGHT,  zgio,  BY  LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  Co. 

All  rights  reserved 
DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 


PBINTED    IN    U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

"  DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH  "  is  a  com- 
plete tale  in  itself,  but  forms  the  sixth  volume  in 
a  line  issued  under  the  general  title  of  u  Dave 
Porter  Series.'' 

In  the  first  book  of  the  series,  called  "  Dave 
Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  the  reader  was  introduced 
to  a  typical  American  lad  of  to-day,  and  was  like- 
wise shown  the  workings  of  a  modern  boarding 
school — a  little  world  in  itself. 

There  was  a  cloud  over  Dave's  parentage,  and 
to  solve  the  mystery  he  took  a  long  sea  voyage, 
as  related  in  the  second  volume,  called  "  Dave 
Porter  in  the  South  Seas."  Then  he  came  back 
to  Oak  Hall,  to  help  win  several  important  games, 
as  the  readers  of  "  Dave  Porter's  Return  to 
School "  already  know. 

So  far,  although  Dave  had  heard  of  his  father, 
he  had  not  met  his  parent.  He  resolved  to  go 
on  a  hunt  for  the  one  who  was  so  dear  to  him, 
and  what  that  led  to  was  related  in  "  Dave  Porter 
in  the  Far  North." 

When  Dave  returned  to  America  he  was  sent 
again  to  school — to  dear  old  Oak  Hall  with  its 

iii 

M545688 


iv  PREFACE 

many  associations.  Here  he  met  many  friends 
and  some  enemies,  as  narrated  in  "  Dave  Porter 
and  His  Classmates."  The  lad  had  no  easy  time 
of  it,  but  did  something  for  the  honor  of  the 
school  that  was  a  great  credit  to  him. 

While  at  Oak  Hall,  Dave,  through  his  sister, 
received  an  invitation  to  spend  his  coming  summer 
vacation  on  a  ranch  in  the  Far  West.  He  was 
privileged  to  take  some  friends  with  him;  and 
how  the  invitation  was  accepted,  and  what  hap- 
pened, I  leave  the  pages*  which  follow  to  relate. 

It  has  been  an  especial  pleasure  for  me  to  write 
this  book.  During  the  past  summer  I  cov- 
ered about  seven  thousand  miles  of  our  great 
western  country,  and  I  have  seen  many  of  the  places 
herein  described.  I  have  also  been  touched  by 
our  warm  western  hospitality,  and  have  had  the 
added  pleasure  of  meeting  some  of  my  young 
readers  face  to  face. 

Once  again  I  thank  the  many  who  have  praised 
my  books  in  the  past.  I  trust  that  this  volume 
may  prove  to  their  liking,  and  benefit  them. 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    DA.VE  AND  His  CHUMS i 

II.    A  STRAY  SHOT n 

III.  AN  INTERVIEW  OF  INTEREST 21 

IV.  CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT 31 

V.    AT  NIAGARA  FALLS 41 

VI.    NAT  POOLE'S  LITTLE  GAME 51 

VII.    IN  WHICH  DAVE  is  ROBBED 61 

VIII.    THE  YOUTH  IN  THE  BALCONY 71 

IX.    ONLY  A  STREET  WAIF Si 

X.  OFF  FOR  THE  BOUNDLESS  WEST      .       .       .       .91 

XI.  THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH       .       .       .       .  101 

XII.    A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK 112 

XIII.  THE  CRAZY  STEER 122 

XIV.  A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE 132 

XV.    AMONG  THE  COWBOYS 142 

XVI.    A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL 152 

XVII.  IN  WHICH  SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN  .       .       .162 

XVIII.    OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN 172 

XIX.    A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH 182 

XX.    FISHING  AND  HUNTING 192 

XXI.  A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES     ....  202 

v 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII.  COWBOY  TRICKS  AND  "BRONCO-BUSTING"       .  212 

XXIII.  DAVE  ON  A  BRONCO 222 

XXIV.  THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE 232 

XXV.  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  GRAND  HUNT    .       .  242 

XXVI.  AFTER   DEER 253 

XXVII.  THE   MOUNTAIN   LION 263 

XXVIII.  UP  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN  TOP 273 

XXIX.  Two  ELK  AND  A  BEAR 283 

XXX.  To  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION     ....  292 


DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR 
RANCH 

CHAPTER  I 

DAVE  AND  HIS  CHUMS 

"  WHY,  Dave,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with 
that  revolver?  " 

"  Phil  and  Roger  and  I  are  going  to  do  some 
target  shooting  back  of  the  barn,"  answered  Dave 
Porter.  "  If  we  are  going  to  try  ranch  life,  we 
want  to  know  how  to  shoot." 

"Oh!  Well,  do  be  careful!"  pleaded  Laura 
Porter,  as  she  glanced  affectionately  at  her  brother. 
"  A  revolver  is  such  a  dangerous  thing!  " 

"  We  know  how  to  handle  one.  Phil  has  been 
painting  a  big  door  to  represent  a  black  bear,  and 
we  are  going  to  see  if  we  can  do  as  well  with  a 
revolver  as  we  did  with  the  rifle." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  shoot  bears  on  the  ranch? 
I  didn't  see  any  when  I  was  out  there." 

;<  We  don't  expect  to  see  them  around  the  house, 
but  there  must  be  plenty  of  game  in  the  mountains.'* 

"  Oh,  I  presume  that's  true.     But  I  shouldn't 


2    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

want  to  hunt  bears — I'd  be  afraid,"  and  Laura 
gave  a  little  shiver. 

"  Girls  weren't  meant  to  be  hunters,"  answered 
Dave,  laughing.  "  But  I  shouldn't  consider  the 
outing  complete  unless  I  went  on  at  least  one  big 
hunt — and  I  know  Phil  and  Roger  feel  the  same 
way  about  it." 

"  Hello,  Dave !  "  cried  a  voice  from  an  open 
doorway,  and  a  handsome  lad  with  dark  curly 
hair  showed  himself.  "  Coming?" 

"Yes,  Roger.     Where  is  Phil?" 

"  Gone  to  the  field  with  his  wooden  bear." 
Roger  Morr  looked  at  his  chum's  sister.  "  Want 
to  come  along  and  try  your  luck?  "  he  questioned. 
"  A  fine  box  of  fudge  to  the  one  making  the  most 
bull's-eyes — I  mean  bear's-eyes." 

"  No,  indeed,  I'd  be  afraid  of  my  life  even  to 
touch  a  revolver,"  answered  the  girl.  "  But  I'll 
hunt  up  Jessie,  and  maybe  we'll  come  down  after 
a  while  to  look  on." 

"  Oh,  you  want  to  learn  to  shoot!  "  cried  Roger. 
"  Then,  when  we  get  to  Star  Ranch,  you  can  dress 
up  in  regular  cowgirl  fashion,  and  ride  a  bronco, 
and  fire  off  your  gun  in  true  western  style." 

"  And  have  a  big  bear  eat  me  up,  eh?  "  answered 
Laura.  "  No,  thank  you — I  want  to  come  back 
East  alive.  But  I'll  come  down  to  the  field  as 
soon  as  I  can  find  Jessie,"  answered  Laura,  and 
walked  away. 


DAVE  AND  HIS  CHUMS  3 

A  long,  melodious  whistle  was  floating  through 
the  outside  air,  and  Dave  and  Roger  knew  it 
came  from  Phil  Lawrence.  They  hurried  from 
the  broad  porch  to  the  garden  path,  and  around 
the  corner  of  the  carriage  shed.  Here  they  came 
upon  their  chum,  carrying  on  his  shoulder  an  old 
door  upon  which  he  had  painted  the  upright  figure 
of  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  bear. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  great  animal  painter!  "  cried 
Dave,  as  he  ran  up  and  took  hold  of  one  end 
of  the  door.  "  Phil,  you  ought  to  place  this  in 
the  Academy  of  Design." 

"  It's  superb !  "  was  Roger's  dry  comment. 
"  Best  picture  of  a  kangaroo  I  ever  saw.  Or  is  it 
a  sheep,  Phil?" 

"  Humph !  It's  a  good  deal  better  than  you 
could  have  painted,"  grumbled  the  amateur  artist. 

"  Sure  it  is — best  photo  of  a  tiger  I  ever  saw," 
said  Dave,  adding  to  the  fun.  "  Why,  you  can 
almost  hear  him  growl  I  " 

"  See  here,  if  you're  going  to  poke  fun  at  me 
I'll  throw  the  target  away.  I  put  in  two  hours 
of  hard  work,  and  three  cans  of  paint,  and " 

uWe  won't  say  another  word,  Phil,"  inter- 
rupted Roger.  "  Here,  let  me  take  hold.  You've 
carried  it  far  enough,"  and  he  relieved  Phil  of 
his  burden. 

"  I  wonder  where  would  be  the  best  place  to  set 
it?  "  mused  Dave,  gazing  across  the  field. 


4    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Up  against  the  tree  over  there,"  answered 
Phil,  pointing.  "  I  had  that  spot  picked  out 
when  I  painted  it.  We'll  set  it  so  that  it  will 
look  as  if  his  bearship  was  trying  to  climb  the 
tree." 

"  It's  rather  close  to  the  back  road,"  protested 
Dave.  "  We  might  hit  somebody." 

"  Oh,  hardly  anybody  uses  that  road, — so  the 
stableman  told  me,"  answered  Roger.  "  Besides, 
we  can  watch  out.  One  always  wants  to  be  care- 
ful when  shooting,  at  a  target  or  otherwise." 

The  three  youths  soon  had  the  target  placed  to 
their  satisfaction,  and  then  began  a  lively  blazing 
away  with  the  three  revolvers  that  had  been 
brought  along.  They  aimed  for  the  eyes  of  the 
painted  creature,  and  for  other  vital  spots,  and  all 
did  fairly  well. 

*  You're  the  best  shot,  Dave,"  announced  Roger, 
during  a  lull  in  the  practice,  when  all  had  gone 
to  inspect  the  "  damage  "  done.  "  You've  plugged 
him  right  in  the  eyes  three  times  and  once  in  the 
heart.  Had  he  been  a  real  bear,  he'd  be  as  dead 
as  a  salt  mackerel  now." 

"  Provided  he  had  consented  to  stand  still,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  Shooting  at  a  stationary  object 
is  one  thing,  and  at  a  moving,  living  creature 
quite  another." 

"  I  have  it!  "  cried  Phil.  "  Let  us  get  a  rope 
and  throw  it  over  one  of  the  tree  limbs.  Then  we 


DAVE  AND  HIS  CHUMS  5 

can  tie  the  door  to  it  and  swing  it  to  and  fro. 
We'll  try  to  hit  the  bear  while  he's  swinging." 

"  That's  the  talk!"  returned  Dave,  enthusias- 
tically. "  I'll  get  the  rope!  "  And  he  ran  off  to 
the  barn  for  it.  Little  did  he  dream  of  what 
trouble  that  swinging  target  was  to  make  for  him- 
self and  his  chums. 

Many  of  my  old  readers  already  know  Dave 
Porter,  but  for  the  benefit  of  others  a  brief  outline 
of  his  past  history  will  not  be  out  of  place.  When 
he  was  a  wee  boy  he  had  been  found  one  day 
wandering  along  the  railroad  tracks  outside  of  the 
village  of  Crumville.  Nobody  knew  who  he  was 
or  where  he  came  from,  and  consequently  he  was 
put  in  the  local  poorhouse,  there  to  remain  until 
he  was  nine  years  old.  Then  a  broken-down  col- 
lege professor  named  Caspar  Potts1,  who  was  doing 
farming  for  his  health,  took  the  lad  to  live  with 
him. 

Caspar  Potts  gave  Dave  the  rudiments  of  a 
good  education.  But  he  could  not  make  his  farm 
pay,  and  soon  got  into  the  grasp  of  Aaron  Poole, 
a  miserly  money-lender,  who  threatened  to  sell  him 
out. 

Things  looked  exceedingly  black  for  the  old 
man  and  the  boy  when  something  very  unexpected 
happened,  as1  has  been  related  in  detail  in  the  first 
volume  of  this  series,  called  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak 
Hall."  In  Crumville  lived  a  rich  manufacturer 


6    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

named  Oliver  Wadsworth,  who  had  a  beautiful 
daughter  named  Jessie,  some  years  younger  than 
Dave.  Through  an  accident  to  the  gasoline  tank 
of  an  automobile,  Jessie's  clothing  took  fire,  and 
she  might  have  been  burned  to  death  had  not 
Dave  rushed  in  and  extinguished  the  flames. 

Mr.  Wadsworth  was  profuse  in  his  thanks,  and 
so  was  his  wife,  and  both  made  inquiries  concerning 
Dave  and  Caspar  Potts.  It  was  found  that  the 
latter  was  one  of  the  manufacturer's1  former  col- 
lege professors,  and  Mr.  Wadsworth  insisted  that 
Professor  Potts  give  up  farming  and  come  and 
live  with  him,  and  bring  Dave  along.  Then  he 
sent  Dave  to  boarding  school,  where  the  lad  soon 
proved  his  worth,  and  made  close  chums  of  Roger 
Morr,  the  son  of  a  United  States  senator;  Phil 
Lawrence,  the  offspring  of  a  wealthy  shipowner, 
and  a  number  of  others. 

The  cloud  concerning  his  parentage  troubled 
Dave  a  great  deal,  and  when  he  saw  what  he 
thought  was  a  chance  to  clear  up  the  mystery,  he 
took  a  long  trip  from  home,  as  related  in  "  Dave 
Porter  in  the  South  Seas."  After  many  adven- 
tures he  found  his1  uncle,  Dunston  Porter,  and 
learned  much  concerning  his  father,  David  Breslow 
Porter,  and  his  sister,  Laura,  then  traveling  in 
Europe. 

Dave  was  now  no  longer  a  "  poorhouse  nobody," 
as  some  of  his  enemies  had  called  him,  but  a  well- 


DAVE  AND  HIS  CHUMS  7 

to-do  youth  with  considerable  money  coming  to 
him  when  he  should  be  of  age.  While  waiting  to 
hear  from  his  parent  he  went  back  to  Oak  Hall, 
as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School." 
Here  he  added  to  his  friends;  yet  some  boys 
were  jealous  of  his  prosperity  and  did  all  they 
could  to  injure  him.  But  their  plots  were  exposed, 
and  in  sheer  fright  one  of  the  lads  ran  away  to 
Europe. 

Much  to  Dave's  disappointment,  he  did  not  hear 
from  either  his  father  or  his  sister.  But  he  did 
receive  word  that  the  bully  who  had  run  away 
from  Oak  Hall  had  seen  them,  and  so  he  resolved 
to  go  on  another  hunt  for  his  relatives.  As  told 
in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  Far  North,"  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  with  his  chum,  Roger,  and  followed 
his  father  to  the  upper  part  of  Norway.  Here 
at  last  the  lonely  lad  met  his  parent  face  to  face, 
a  meeting  as  thrilling  as  it  was  interesting.  He 
learned  that  his  sister  had  returned  to  the  United 
States,  and  with  some  friends  named  Endicott  had 
gone  to  the  latter's  ranch  in  the  Far  West. 

Mr.  Oliver  Wadsworth's  mansion  was  a  large 
one,  and  by  an  arrangement  with  him  it  was  settled 
that,  for  the  present,  the  Porters  should  make  the 
place  their  home.  All  in  a  flutter  of  excitement, 
Laura  came  back  from  the  West,  and  the  meeting 
between  brother  and  sister  was  as  affecting  as  had 
been  that  between  father  and  son.  The  girl 


8    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

brought  with  her  some  news  that  interested  Dave 
deeply.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  the  ranch  next 
to  that  of  the  Endicotts  was  owned  by  a  Mr.  Felix 
Merwell,  the  father  of  Link  Merwell,  one  of 
Dave's  bitterest  enemies  at  Oak  Hall.  Link  had 
met  Laura  out  there  and  gotten  her  to  correspond 
with  him. 

"  It's  too  bad,  Laura ;  I  wish  you  hadn't  done 
it,"  Dave  had  said  on  learning  the  news.  "  It  may 
make  trouble,  for  Merwell  is  no  gentleman." 
And  trouble  it  did  make,  as  the  readers  of  "  Dave 
Porter  and  His  Classmates  "  know.  The  trouble 
went  from  bad  to  worse,  and  not  only  were  Laura 
and  Dave  involved,  but  also  pretty  Jessie  Wads- 
worth  and  several  of  Dave's  school  chums.  In 
the  end  Dave  "  took  the  law  in  his  own  hands  " 
by  giving  Link  Merwell  a  sound  thrashing.  Then 
some  of  the  bully's  wrongdoings  reached  the  ears 
of  the  master  of  the  school,  and  he  was  ordered 
to  pack  his  trunk  and  leave,  and  a  telegram  was 
sent  to  his  father  in  the  West,  stating  that  he  had 
been  expelled  for  violating  the  school  rules.  He 
left  in  a  great  rage. 

"  This  is  the  work  of  that  miserable  poorhouse 
rat,  Dave  Porter,"  Link  told  some  of  his  cohorts. 
"  Just  wait — I'll  fix  him  for  it  some  day,  see  if  I 
don't !  "  Then  he  wrote  a  most  abusive  letter 
to  Dave,  but  in  his  rage  he  forgot  to  address  it 
properly,  and  it  never  reached  the  youth. 


DAVE  AND  HIS  CHUMS  9 

The  term  at  Oak  Hall  came  to  an  end  in  June 
and  then  arose  the  question  of  what  to  do  during 
the  vacation.  In  the  meantime  letters  had  been 
flying  forth  between  Laura  and  her  warm  friend, 
Belle  Endicott,  who  was  still  at  Star  Ranch,  as 
Mr.  Endicott's  place  was  called.  It  may  be  said 
in  passing  that  Mr.  Endicott  was  a  rich  railroad 
president,  and  the  ranch,  while  it  paid  well,  was 
merely  a  hobby  with  him,  and  he  and  his  family 
resided  upon  it  only  when  it  suited  their  fancy 
to  do  so. 

"  The  Endicotts  want  me  to  come  out  again," 
said  Laura  to  Dave.  "  They  want  me  to  bring 
you  along  with  some  of  your  chums,  and  they  want 
me  to  bring  Jessie,  too,  if  her  folks  will  let  her 


come." 


"  Oh,  that  would  be  jolly!"  Dave  answered. 
When  he  thought  of  Jessie's  going  he  blushed  to 
himself,  for  to  him  the  girl  whose  life  he  had 
once  saved  was  the  nicest  miss  in  the  whole  world. 
Dave  was  by  no  means  sentimental,  but  he  had  a 
warm,  manly  regard  for  Jessie  that  did  him  credit. 

More  letters  passed  back  and  forth,  and  it  was 
finally  arranged  that  Laura  and  Dave  should  visit 
Star  Ranch  during  July  and  August,  taking  with 
them  Jessie  and  Phil  and  Roger.  Dunston  Porter 
was  to  accompany  the  young  folk  as  far  west  as 
Helena,  near  which  the  Endicotts  were  to  meet  the 
travelers,  and  then  Dave's  uncle  was  to  go  on 


io    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

to  Spokane  on  business,  coming  back  to  take  the 
young  folks  home  about  six  weeks  later. 

The  thoughts  of  spending  their  vacation  on  a 
real  ranch  filled  the  young  folk  with  delight.  All 
anticipated  a  "  Jim-dandy "  time,  as  Phil  ex- 
pressed it. 

"  We  can  go  out  hunting  and  fishing,  and  all 
that,"  declared  the  shipowner's  son  to  his  chums. 
"  And  maybe  we'll  bring  down  a  bear  or  two." 
And  then  he  suggested  that  they  get  revolvers  and 
perfect  themselves  in  marksmanship. 

"  Maybe  we'll  run  into  Link  Merwell  out  there," 
said  Roger.  "  My,  but  he  was  mad  when  he  left 
Oak  Hall!  He'd  like  to  chew  your  head  off, 
Dave!" 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  him,"  answered  Dave, 
soberly.  But  this  wish  was  not  to  be  fulfilled.  He 
was  to  meet  Link  Merwell  in  the  near  future, 
and  that  meeting  was  to  be  productive  of  some 
decidedly  unpleasant  results. 


CHAPTER  II 

A   STRAY   SHOT 

DAVE  soon  returned  to  the  field  with  a  rope, 
and  the  representation  of  a  bear  was  swung  from 
the  lower  limb  of  an  old  apple  tree.  Then 
another  smaller  line  was  fastened  at  one 
side,  so  that  the  "  bear "  could  be  swung  to 
and  fro. 

"  You  can  do  the  first  shooting,"  said  Dave  to 
his  chums.  "  I'll  play  bellman."  And  he  pulled 
on  the  side  rope,  so  that  the  door  swung  like  the 
pendulum  of  a  clock. 

"  Hi !  don't  swing  too  fast !  "  called  out  Phil. 
"  Sixty  seconds  to  the  minute,  remember." 

He  took  his  position,  and  watching  his  chance, 
fired. 

"  How's  that?  "  he  asked,  after  the  report  had 
died  away. 

"  Hit  his  bearship  in  the  left  ear,"  announced 
Dave. 

"  Humph !  I  aimed  for  his  right  eye !  " 

The  senator's  son  now  tried  his  luck  and  man- 
aged to  hit  the  representation  of  a  bear  in  the  tail. 

ii 


12    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

This  made  all  the  lads  laugh,  and  Roger  and 
Phil  called  on  Dave  to  show  his  skill. 

"  I  don't  think  this  revolver  works  very  well," 
said  the  senator's  son,  handing  the  weapon  to  Dave. 
"  The  trigger  seems  to  catch  in  some  way." 

"  Oh,  don't  blame  the  pistol  for  your  poor  shoot- 
ing, Roger!  "  cried  Phil,  good-naturedly. 

"  Well,  examine  the  pistol  for  yourself,  Phil." 

Dave  took  the  weapon  and  snapped  the  trigger. 
There  was  no  report,  and  he  tried  again,  aiming 
at  some  brushwood  not  far  from  the  apple  tree. 
The  brushwood  was  close  to  the  back  road. 

"  It's  all  right  now,  I  guess,"  he  said,  as  the 
pistol  went  off  with  ease.  "  But  that  trigger  ought 
to  be  looked  after,"  he  added.  "  You  wouldn't 
want  it  to  miss  fire  at  a  critical  moment." 

He  stepped  forward  and,  while  Roger  swung  the 
representation  of  a  bear,  he  fired  another  shot. 

"  Good  for  you !  "  exclaimed  the  senator's  son 
in  admiration.  "  You  took  him  right  in  the 
throat,  Dave !  " 

"  Hold  up  there !  Stop  that !  Do  you  hear 
me,  you  young  rascals !  Do  you  want  to  kill 
me?" 

The  call  came  from  the  back  road,  and  looking 
in  that  direction,  the  three  boys  saw  a  well-dressed 
man  coming  toward  them  on  the  run.  He  was 
carrying  a  whip,  and  his  face  was  full  of  sudden 
passion. 


A  STRAY  SHOT  13 

"  It's  Aaron  Poole,  Nat's  father !  "  said  Dave, 
as  he  lowered  the  pistol  in  his  hand. 

u  I  say,  are  you  trying  to  kill  me?  "  cried  the 
miserly  money-lender  of  Crumville,  as  he  came 
closer,  and  he  shook  his  whip  at  Dave. 

"  Why,  no,  Mr.  Poole,"  answered  Dave,  as 
calmly  as  he  could.  "  What  makes  you  think 
that?" 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  play  innocent,"  snarled  Aaron 
Poole.  "  You  just  fired  a  shot  at  me !  It  went 
through  my  buggy  top."  And  the  money-lender 
pointed  to  the  back  road,  where  stood  his  horse 
and  carriage.  "  Nice  doings,  I  must  say!  " 

"  Mr.  Poole,  I  didn't  fire  at  you,"  answered 
Dave.  "  I  didn't  know  anybody  was  out  there  on 
the  road, — and  I  didn't  fire  in  that  direction." 

"  You  fired  into  the  bushes,  when  you  tried  the 
pistol,"  said  Roger,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Maybe  the  bullet  went  through  the  bushes," 
suggested  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  You  fired  at  me — I  heard  the  shot  and  saw 
you  with  the  pistol  1  "  stormed  Aaron  Poole.  "  I've 
a  good  mind  to  have  you  arrested!  " 

"  Mr.  Poole,  why  should  I  fire  at  you?  "  asked 
Dave.  "  I " 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  try  to  smooth  it  over,  you 
young  rascal !  I  know  you  !  You  are  down  on  me 
because  I  made  Caspar  Potts  pay  me  what  was 
due,  and  you  are  down  on  my  son  Nat  because 


14    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

he  is  more  popular  at  Oak  Hall  than  anybody 
else." 

"  Well,  to  hear  that !  "  whispered  Phil.  He 
knew,  as  well  as  did  the  others,  that  overbearing 
Nat  Poole  had  scarcely  a  friend  left  at  the  school 
the  lads  attended.  On  several  occasions  Nat  had 
tried  to  harm  Dave,  but  each  time  he  had  gotten 
the  worst  of  it. 

"  I  didn't  fire  at  you — didn't  know  anybody 
was  on  the  back  road,"  protested  Dave.  "  If  a 
bullet  went  through  your  buggy  top  I  am  sorry 
for  it,  but  I  am  also  glad  it  didn't  go  through  your 
head."  And  Dave  had  to  shudder  as  he  thought 
of  what  might  have  happened.  "  After  this  I'll 
be  more  careful  when  I  shoot." 

"  Oh,  don't  you  try  to  smooth  it  over!  "  snarled 
Aaron  Poole.  "  I  know  you  of  old,  Dave  Porter! 
You  are  always  up  to  some  underhanded  tricks. 
Nat  knows  you,  too !  Maybe  you  didn't  mean  to 
kill  me,  but  you  meant  to  scare  me,  and  you  took 
a  big  chance,  for  I  might  have  been  hit.  I  think 
I'll  swear  out  a  warrant  for  your  arrest." 

"Oh,  Mr.  Poole,  don't  do  that!"  cried  Phil, 
in  alarm.  "  Dave  didn't  know  anybody  was  back 
there.  It  was  purely  an  accident." 

"  Humph!     Who  are  you,  I'd  like  to  know?  " 

"  I  am  Phil  Lawrence.  I  go  to  Oak  Hall  with 
Dave.  I  think  we  have  met  before." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I've  heard  of  you — through  my  son, 


A  STRAY  SHOT  15 

Nat.  You  sided  with  Porter  against  my  son.  Of 
course  you'll  stick  up  for  Porter  now.  I  think 
I'll  go  right  down  to  town  and  get  a  warrant,  and 
have  it  served."  And  the  money-lender  made  as 
if  to  walk  away. 

"  If  you  have  Dave  arrested  we  can  testify  that 
it  was  nothing  but  an  accident,"  said  Roger. 

"  Bah!  it  was  no  accident — he  either  meant  to 
hit  me  or  scare  me!  I'll  have  the  law  on  him!  " 
stormed  Aaron  Poole,  and  rLen  he  hurried  away. 
Dave  followed,  wishing  to  argue  the  matter,  but 
the  money-lender  would  not  listen,  and  leaping  into 
his  buggy  he  drove  off  at  a  rapid  gait  in  the 
direction  of  Crumville  Center. 

"  Now,  I  wonder  what  I  had  better  do?  "  said 
Dave,  soberly,  after  the  angry  man  had  departed. 

"  Do  you  really  think  he'll  have  you  arrested?  " 
questioned  the  senator's  son. 

"  More  than  likely." 

"  But  you  didn't  shoot  at  him.  It  was  nothing 
but  an  accident." 

"  You  can  trust  Mr.  Poole  to  make  out  the 
blackest  kind  of  a  case  against  me,"  answered  Dave, 
bitterly.  "  He  has  been  down  on  me  for  years, 
and  you  know  how  Nat  is  down  on  me,  too.  He'll 
have  me  sent  to  prison,  if  he  can !  " 

"  We'll  stand  by  you,"  said  Phil.  "  We  know 
you  didn't  shoot  at  him — or  at  anybody." 

"  I  think  I  had  better  tell  my  father  about  this," 


16    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

went  on  Dave.  All  his  interest  in  target-shooting 
had  ended.  "  He  will  know  what  is  best  to  do." 

11  We'll  leave  the  target  where  it  is,"  said  Roger. 
"  Then  we  can  explain  just  how  the  thing  oc- 
curred." 

With  downcast  heart  Dave  left  the  field  and 
approached  the  mansion,  and  his  chums  went  with 
him.  Just  as  they  reached  the  piazza  the  door 
opened  and  Laura  came  out,  accompanied  by  Jessie 
Wadsworth. 

"  Oh,  are  you  coming  back?  "  aeked  Laura. 
"  We  were  just  going  to  join  you  " 

"  Maybe  you've  killed  the  bear!  "  c~ied  Jessie, 
with  a  mischievous  twinkle  in  her  eyes.  "  I  heard 
that  Phil  had  manufactured  onet" 

"  No.''  answered  Dave.  *  We — that  is.  I — had 
some  trouble  with  Mr.  Poole."  He  turned  to  his 
sister.  <:  Where  is  father?" 

"Gone  out  of  town  en  business.  He'll  be  back 
this  eveningo" 

"And  Uncle  Dunston?" 

"  Uncle  went  with  him." 

"Oh,  that's  too  bad!"  And  Dave's  face 
showed  more  concern  than  ever. 

14  What  was  the  trouble  about?"  asked  Jessie, 
who  was  quick  to  see  that  Dave  was  ill  at  ease. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Poole  thought  I  shot  at  him — but  I 
didn't,'1  replied  Dave,  and  then  told  the  story. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  do  you  really  think  he'll  have  you 


A  STRAY  SHOT  17 

locked  up !  "  burst  out  his  sister,  while  Jessie's  face 
showed  her  deep  concern. 

"  I  don't  know  what  he'll  do,"  was  the  slow 
answer. 

"  Oh,  maybe  he  won't  do  anything — after  he 
calms  down,"  said  the  shipowner's  son.  "  He'll 
realize  that  Dave  wouldn't  do  anything  like  that 
on  purpose." 

"  You  don't  know  Mr.  Poole,"  said  Jessie. 
"  Father  says  he  is  one  of  the  most  hard-hearted 
men  around  here." 

"  Well,  let  us  hope  for  the  best,"  said  the  sena- 
tor's son.  He  wanted  to  cheer  up  Laura  and  Jessie 
quite  as  much  as  Dave. 

The  boys  put  the  pistols  away  and  then  went  out 
in  a  summerhouse  to  talk  the  affair  over. 

"  If  he  has  me  arrested,  I  suppose  that  will  stop 
my  going  out  to  Star  Ranch,"  said  Dave,  gloomily. 
"Too  bad!  And  just  when  I  was  counting  on 
having  the  time  of  my  life !  " 

"  Oh,  don't  take  it  so  to  heart,  Dave !  "  cried 
Phil.  "  Maybe  you'll  never  hear  of  it  again." 

"  He'll  hear  of  it  if  Mr.  Poole  tells  Nat,"  said 
the  senator's  son.  "  Nat  will  want  his  father  to 
make  all  the  trouble  possible  for  Dave." 

"  Where  is  Nat  now?     At  home?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Dave.  "  I  saw  him  yesterday, 
down  at  the  post-office." 

"  Then  he'll  surely  hear  about  it." 


i8    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

At  first  Dave  thought  to  tell  Caspar  Potts  about 
the  affair,  but  then  he  realized  that  the  professor 
was  too  old  to  aid  him.  Besides,  the  aged  man 
was  not  well,  and  the  boy  hated  to  disturb  him. 

The  middle  of  the  afternoon  came  and  went,  and 
nothing  was  heard  from  Aaron  Poole.  Mrs. 
Wadsworth  went  out  carriage-riding,  taking  the 
girls  with  her. 

"  Let  us  take  a  walk,"  proposed  Phil.  "  No  use 
in  hanging  around  the  house  for  nothing." 

"  I  don't  want  Mr.  Poole  to  think  I  ran  away," 
answered  Dave. 

Nevertheless,  he  agreed  to  go  with  his  chums, 
and  they  started  off,  leaving  word  that  they  would 
be  back  in  time  for  dinner,  which  was  served  at 
the  Wadsworth  mansion  at  half-past  six. 

"  I'd  like  to  see  that  place  where  you  used  to 
live  with  Professor  Potts,"  said  the  senator's  son 
to  Dave.  "  Is  it  far  from  here?  " 

"  Quite  a  distance,  but  we  can  easily  walk  it," 
was  the  reply. 

They  passed  out  on  the  country  road  and  were 
soon  tramping  along  in  the  direction  of  the  old 
Potts  place.  As  they  went  on  they  talked  over 
the  proposed  trip  to  the  West. 

"  We  ought  surely  to  have  the  time  of  our 
lives,"  said  the  shipowner's  son.  *  Just  think  of 
riding  like  the  wind  on  some  of  those  broncos!" 

"  Or   getting   flung   heels   over   head   from   a 


A  STRAY  SHOT  19 

bronco's  back,"  added  Roger.  "  I  rather  think 
we'll  have  to  be  careful  at  first.*' 

"  One  thing  I  don't  like  about  this  trip,"  said 
Dave. 

"  The  fact  that  Link  Merwell's  father  owns  the 
next  ranch  to  the  Star?" 

"  Exactly." 

"  Oh,  ranch  homes  out  there  are  sometimes  miles 
apart,"  said  Roger.  "  You  may  not  see  the  Mer- 
wells  at  all." 

"  That  will  just  suit  me, — and  I  know  it  will 
suit  Laura,  too.  She  is  awfully  sorry  that  she 
once  corresponded  with  Link." 

"  Well,  she  didn't  know  what  he  was,"  answered 
the  senator's  son.  Ever  since  he  had  met  Laura 
he  had  been  much  interested  in  Dave's  sister. 

The  three  chums  had  covered  about  half  the 
distance  to  the  old  Potts  place  when  they  saw  a 
horse  and  buggy  approaching.  As  it  came  closer 
they  saw  that  it  contained  two  men. 

"It's  Mr.  Poole!"  cried  Dave,  and  then,  as 
he  caught  sight  of  the  other  man's  face,  he  turned 
a  trifle  pale.  "  Step  behind  here !  "  he  called  to 
Phil  and  Roger,  and  pulled  them  back  of  some 
handy  bushes. 

The  horse  and  buggy  soon  came  up  to  them  and 
passed  on,  the  three  boys  keeping  out  of  sight  until 
the  turnout  was  gone.  Dave  gave  a  deep  sigh. 

"  I  guess  Mr.  Poole  means  business,"  he  said. 


20    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  questioned  the  senator's 
son. 

"  I  mean  he  is  going  to  have  me  locked  up." 

"Why?"  asked  Phil. 

"  That  man  in  the  buggy  with  him  was  Mr. 
Mardell,  the  police  justice." 


CHAPTER  III 

AN   INTERVIEW   OF    INTEREST 

"  WELL,  I  shouldn't  go  back  home  until  your 
father  and  your  uncle  return/'  said  the  senator's 
son.  "  Then,  if  you  are  arrested,  they'll  know 
exactly  what  to  do." 

"  It's  too  bad  it  happened!  "  murmured  Dave. 
u  I  wish  I  had  gotten  off  to  the  West  without  see- 
ing Aaron  Poole.  But  I  suppose  there  is  no  use 
in  crying  over  spilt  milk.  I'll  have  to  face  the 
music,  and  take  what  comes." 

The  three  lads  went  on,  and  presently  came  in 
sight  of  the  farm  where  Caspar  Potts  and  Dave 
had  once  resided.  The  ground  was  now  being 
cultivated  by  the  man  who  had  the  next  farm,  and 
the  house  was  tenantless. 

"  I've  got  the  key  of  the  house,"  said  Dave. 
"  If  you'd  like  to  take  a  look  inside  I'll  unlock  the 
door.  But  it's  a  very  poor  place — a  big  contrast 
to  the  Wadsworth  residence." 

"  And  so  you  used  to  work  here,  Dave?  "  said 
Phil,  gazing  around  at  the  fields  of  corn  and  wheat. 

*  Yes,  I've  plowed  and  worked  these  fields  more 

21 


22   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

than  once,  Phil.  And  in  those  days,  I  didn't  know 
what  it  was  to  have  a  nice  suit  of  clothes  and  good 
food.  But  Professor  Potts  was  kind  to  me,  even 
if  he  was  a  bit  eccentric." 

"  It  was  a  grand  thing  that  you  found  your 
folks — and  your  fortune/'  said  Roger. 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  thankful  from  the  bottom  of 
my  heart." 

The  three  boys  entered  the  deserted  house,  and 
Dave  showed  the  way  around.  There  was  the 
same  little  cot  on  which  he  had  been  wont  to 
stretch  his  weary  limbs  after  a  hard  day's  work  in 
the  fields,  and  there  were  the  same  simple  cooking 
utensils  with  which  he  had  prepared  many  a  meal 
for  himself  and  the  old  professor.  Conditions 
certainly  had  improved  wonderfully,  and  for  the 
time  being  Dave  forgot  his  trouble  with  Aaron 
Poole.  No  one  could  again  call  him  "  a  poorhouse 
nobody." 

From  the  cottage  the  boys  walked  to  the  barn. 
As  they  entered  this  building  they  heard  earnest 
talking  in  the  rear. 

"  You  are  a  mean  lad,  to  tease  an  old  man  like 
me !  "  they  heard,  in  Caspar  Potts's  quavering 
tones.  "  Why  cannot  you  go  away  and  leave  me 
alone?" 

"  Don't  you  call  me  mean !  "  came  in  Nat  Poole's 
voice.  "  I'll  do  what  I  please,  and  you  can't  stop 
me!" 


AN  INTERVIEW  OF  INTEREST          23 

"  I  want  you  to  leave  me  alone,"  reiterated  the 
old  professor. 

"  I  will — when  I  am  done  with  you.  How  do 
you  like  that,  old  man?"  And  then  Nat  Poole 
gave  a  brutal  laugh. 

"Oh!  oh!  Don't  smother  me!"  spluttered 
Caspar  Potts.  "  Please  leave  me  alone !  You 
have  ruined  my  clothes !  " 

"  I  wonder  what's  up?  "  said  Dave  to  his  chums, 
and  ran  through  the  barn  to  the  rear.  There  he 
beheld  Caspar  Potts  in  a  corner.  In  front  of  him 
stood  Nat  Poole,  holding  a  big  garden  syringe  in 
his  hands.  The  syringe  had  been  filled  with  a 
preparation  for  spraying  peach  trees,  and  the  son 
of  the  money-lender  had  discharged  the  chalk-like 
fluid  all  over  the  aged  professor. 

"  Nat  Poole,  what  are  you  up  to !  "  cried 
Dave,  indignantly,  and,  leaping  forward,  he 
caught  the  other  youth  by  the  shoulder  and 
whirled  him  around.  "  You  let  Professor  Potts 
alone !  " 

"  Dave !  "  cried  the  professor,  and  his  voice 
showed  his  joy.  "  Oh,  I  am  glad  you  came.  That 
young  man  has  been  teasing  me  for  over  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  and  he  just  covered  me  with  that  spray 
for  the  peach-tree  scale." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  doing  such  a  thing?1' 
demanded  Dave.  "  Give  me  that  syringe."  And 
he  wrenched  the  article  from  the  other  youth's 


24   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

grasp.  He  looked  so  determined  that  Nat  became 
alarmed  and  backed  away  several  feet. 

"  Don't  you — you — er — hit  me  1  "  cried  the 
money-lender's  son. 

"  What  a  mean  piece  of  business,"  observed 
Roger,  as  he  came  up,  followed  by  Phil.  "  Nat, 
you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself!  " 

"  Oh,  you  shut  up !  "  grumbled  Nat,  not  knowing 
what  else  to  say. 

"  I  always  thought  you  were  a  first-class  cow- 
ard," put  in  Phil.  "  Now  I  am  sure  of  it." 

'This  is  none  of  your  affair,  Phil  Lawrence!  " 

"  I  should  think  it  was  the  affair  of  any  person 
who  wanted  to  see  fair  play,"  answered  the  ship- 
owner's son. 

"  Nat,  you  take  your  handkerchief  and  wipe  off 
Mr.  Potts's  clothes,"  said  Dave,  sternly. 

"Eh?"  queried  the  money-lender's  son  in  dis- 
may. 

*  You  heard  what  I  said.  Go  and  do  it,  and 
be  quick  about  it." 

"  I— er— I  don't  have  to." 

"  Yes,  you  do.  If  you  don't "  Dave 

ended  by  walking  over  to  a  barrel  and  filling  the 
syringe  with  the  spraying  fluid. 

"  Hi !  don't  you  douse  me  with  that!  "  yelled  the 
other  youth  in  alarm.  Then  he  started  to  run 
away,  but  the  senator's  son  caught  him  by  one  arm 
and  Phil  caught  him  by  the  other. 


AN  INTERVIEW  OF  INTEREST          25 

"  YouVe  got  no  right  to  hold  me!  " 

"  Well,  we'll  take  the  right/'  said  Roger, 
calmly.  "  Now,  Nat,  do  as  Dave  told  you." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  with  very  bad 
grace  the  money-lender's  son  drew  from  his  pocket 
a  silk  handkerchief  and  removed  what  he  could 
of  the  fluid  from  Caspar  Potts's  clothing.  Many 
spots  remained. 

"  I  am  afraid  the  suit  is  ruined,"  said  the  aged 
professor,  sorrowfully.  "  Anyway,  it  will  need  a 
thorough  cleaning." 

"  If  it  is  ruined,  Nat  can  pay  for  it,"  said  Dave, 
firmly. 

"  I'll  pay  for  nothing!  "  grumbled  the  boy  who 
had  done  the  mischief.  He  was  short  of  spending- 
money,  and  knew  how  hard  it  was  to  get  an  extra 
dollar  from  his  parent. 

"  He  certainly  ought  to  pay  for  it,"  said  Caspar 
Potts.  "  Some  men  would  have  him  locked  up  for 
what  he  has  done." 

"  Humph !  Don't  talk  foolish !  It  was  only 
a  little  fun !  "  grumbled  Nat.  "  I  didn't  mean  any 
harm.  You  can  easily  get  those  spots  out  of  your 
clothes." 

"  Did  he  do  anything  else  to  you?  "  asked  Dave 
of  the  professor. 

*  Yes,  he  plagued  me  a  good  deal,  and  he  shoved 
me  down  in  the  cow-yard,"  was  the  reply.  "  I 
was  hoping  some  one  would  come  to  drive  him 


26   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

away.  I  said  I'd  have  the  law  on  him,  but  he 
laughed  at  me,  and  said  nobody  else  was  around 
and  his  word  was  as  good  as  mine." 

"If  that  isn't  Nat  to  a  T!"  murmured  the 
senator's  son.  "  Doing  the  sneak  act  every  time !  " 

"  Well,  we  are  witnesses  against  him,"  put  in 
Phil.  He  looked  at  Dave  and  suddenly  began 
to  grin.  "  Oh,  but  this  is  great !  "  he  cried. 

"  What's  struck  you?"  queried  Dave. 

"  Oh,  nothing,  only  I  reckon  we've  got  a  good 
hold  on  Mr.  Aaron  Poole  now — in  case  he  tries 
to  make  a  complaint  against  you." 

"  To  be  sure  we  have !  "  burst  out  Roger.  "  He 
won't  dare  to  do  it — after  he  knows  what  Pro- 
fessor Potts  can  do." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about?"  demanded 
Nat,  curiously.  "  Is  my  father  going  to  make  a 
complaint  against  Dave?  What  is  it  for?  " 

"  Maybe  you'll  learn  later — and  maybe  you 
won't,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  But  if  you 
see  your  father  you  had  better  tell  him  to  call 
it  off  as  far  as  Dave  is  concerned — if  he  wants  to 
save  you." 

"Then  you've  had  trouble,  eh?" 

"  No  worse  than  this — if  as  bad." 

"Humph!  In  that  case  my  father  won't  be- 
lieve what  you  say  about  me !  "  cried  Nat,  cun- 
ningly. And  then  of  a  sudden  he  leaped  back, 
turned,  and  ran  around  a  corner  of  the  barn  at 


AN  INTERVIEW  OF  INTEREST          27 

top  speed.  He  made  for  the  road,  and  was  soon 
hidden  from  view  by  trees  and  bushes.  Phil  and 
Roger  attempted  to  catch  him,  but  Dave  called 
them  back. 

"  No  use  in  doing  that,"  said  Dave.  "  Let 
him  go.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  say  more 
when  Mr.  Poole  makes  his  complaint." 

The  three  youths  assisted  Caspar  Potts  in  re- 
arranging his  toilet,  and  in  the  meantime  the 
aged  professor  told  the  lads  the  details  of  his 
trouble  with  Nat.  The  money-lender's  son  had 
certainly  acted  in  a  despicable  manner,  and  he  de- 
served to  be  punished. 

"  I  will  leave  the  matter  to  Mr.  Wadsworth, 
and  to  your  father  and  your  uncle,"  said  Professor 
Potts  to  Dave.  "  They  will  know  better  what 
to  do  than  I." 

On  the  way  back  to  the  Wadsworth  mansion 
the  boys  told  of  the  pistol  incident  and  the  pro- 
fessor became  much  interested.  He  agreed  with 
Phil  and  Roger  that  Nat's  doings  were  much 
worse. 

Dave's  father  and  his  uncle  had  returned,  and 
the  youth  went  straight  to  them  with  his  tale. 
Then  Mr.  Wadsworth  came  in  and  was  likewise 
told.  All  the  men  were  also  informed  of  what 
had  happened  to  Caspar  Potts. 

'  [  think  I  see  a  way  of  clearing  this  matter  up — 
if  Mr.  Poole  attempts  to  act  against  Dave,"  said 


28   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Mr.  Wadsworth.  And  then  he  had  a  long  talk 
with  Professor  Potts. 

The  folks  at  the  mansion  had  just  finished  din- 
ner when  visitors  were  announced.  They  proved 
to  be  Aaron  Poole  and  an  officer  of  the  law, 
brought  along  to  arrest  Dave. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  let  me  engineer  this 
affair,"  said  Mr.  Wadsworth,  and  so  it  was  agreed. 
He  entered  the  reception  room  and  shook  hands 
formally  with  Aaron  Poole. 

"  I  came  to  get  Dave  Porter,"  said  the  money- 
lender, stiffly.  "  I  am  going  to  have  him  locked 
up." 

"  Mr.  Poole,  will  you  kindly  step  into  the 
library  with  me?  "  answered  Mr.  Wadsworth. 

"What  for?" 

"  I  wish  to  have  a  little  conversation  with 
you." 

"  It  won't  do  any  good.  I'm  going  to  have 
that  Porter  boy  arrested,  and  that  is  all  there  is 
to  it." 

"  I  wished  to  see  you  about  your  son,  Nat. 
Do  you  know  that  he  stands  in  dange~  of 
arrest?" 

"Arrest!  Nat?"  queried  the  money-lender, 
and  the  officer  of  the  law  looked  at  the  rich 
manufacturer  with  interest. 

"  Yes.     Come  into  the  library,  please." 

"Want  me?"  asked  the  officer. 


AN  INTERVIEW  OF  INTEREST          29 

"  No,"  returned  Mr.  Wadsworth,  shortly,  and 
the  man  settled  back  in  his  chair,  his  face  showing 
his  disappointment. 

Once  in  the  library  the  manufacturer  shut  the 
door  with  care.  He  motioned  his  visitor  to  a 
chair.  But  Aaron  Poole  was  too  impatient  to  sit 
down. 

"Now,  what's  this  about  my  son,  Nat?" 
growled  the  money-lender. 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  was  Mr.  Wadsworth's  reply, 
and  he  related  what  had  occurred  at  the  old  Potts 
place. 

"  You  expect  me  to  believe  this?  "  snarled  Aaron 
Poole. 

"  Believe  it  or  not,  it  is  the  truth,  and  I  have 
the  three  boys  to  prove  it,  and  likewise  Professor 
Potts's  ruined  suit  of  clothing.  Now,"  continued 
the  manufacturer,  "  I  know  all  about  your  charge 
against  Dave.  I'll  not  say  that  he  wasn't  care- 
less, because  he  was.  But  he  meant  no  harm,  and 
it  is  going  too  far  to  have  him  arrested.  It  would 
be  much  fairer  for  Professor  Potts  to  have  your 
son  locked  up,  and  make  you  pay  for  the  suit 
of  clothing  in  the  bargain.  Now,  the  professor 
thinks  a  great  deal  of  Dave,  and  he  is  willing 
to  drop  his  complaint  against  Nat  if  you'll  drop 
your  complaint  against  Dave." 

"  Oh,  so  that's  the  way  the  wind  blows,  eh?" 
snarled  Aaron  Poole.  "Well,  I  won't  do  it!" 


30   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

he  snapped.  "  I'm  going  to  have  Dave  Porter 
arrested!  " 

"  If  you  do,  Professor  Potts  will  have  Nat 
arrested,  and  we'll  push  our  case  just  as  hard 
as  you  push  yours,  Mr.  Poole." 

"  Humph !  I  guess  this  is  a  plot  to  free  Dave 
Porter!" 

"  You  can  think  what  you  please.  This  is  the 
way  I  look  at  it :  Dave  was  careless,  and  his  father 
can  give  him  a  lecture  on  his  carelessness.  Nat 
was  brutal,  and  it  is  up  to  you  to  take  him  in  hand. 
If  he  were  my  son,  I'd  give  him  a  good  talking 
to — and  maybe  I'd  thrash  him,"  added  the  rich 
manufacturer,  warmly. 

"  Oh,  you  are  all  down  on  my  son — just  as  you 
are  down  on  me !  "  cried  Aaron  Poole.  "  I'll  look 
into  this !  I'll— I'll " 

"  Don't  do  anything  hasty,"  advised  Mr.  Wads- 
worth.  "  Better  talk  the  matter  over  with  Nat." 

"  I'll  do  it.  But  I'll  not  drop  this  matter! 
I'll  get  after  Dave  Porter  yet !  "  cried  Aaron 
Poole,  and  then  he  stalked  out  of  the  library,  and, 
motioning  for  the  officer  of  the  law  to  follow  him, 
he  left  the  mansion. 


CHAPTER  IV 

CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT 

"  I  DON'T  think  he'll  do  anything — that  is,  if 
he  gets  the  truth  out  of  Nat,"  said  Mr.  Wads- 
worth,  as  he  rejoined  the  others.  "  Of  course, 
if  his  son  denies  the  attack  on  the  professor,  it 
may  be  different." 

"  If  Nat  does  that,  we'll  have  the  testimony 
of  the  professor,  Phil,  and  Roger  against  him," 
said  Mr.  Porter. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  next  day  was  an 
uncomfortable  one  for  Dave,  for  he  did  not  know 
at  what  moment  an  officer  of  the  law  might  appear 
to  arrest  him.  In  the  afternoon  he  and  his  chums 
went  fishing,  but  he  had  little  heart  for  the  sport. 

Early  on  the  day  following  Ben  Basswood  called 
to  see  Dave  and  the  others.  As  my  old  readers 
know,  Ben  had  been  a  friend  to  Dave  for  many 
years,  and  had  gone  from  Crumville  to  Oak  Hall 
with  him. 

"  Was  coming  before,  to  meet  you  and  Roger 
and  Phil,"  said  Ben.  "  But  I  had  to  go  out  of 
town  on  business  for  dad.  How  are  you  all? 

31 


32    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Say,  I  hear  you  are  going  out  West  on  a  ranch. 
That's  great !  Going  to  shoot  buffaloes,  I  sup- 
pose. " 

"  No,  hippopotamuses,"  put  in  the  senator's 
son,  with  a  grin. 

"  And  June  bugs,"  added  Phil. 
1  You'll  sure  have  the  time  of  your  lives !  Wish 
I  was  going.  But  I  am  booked  for  the  Great 
Lakes,  which  isn't  bad.  Going  to  take  the  trip 
from  Buffalo  to  Duluth  and  back,  you  know.  But 
say,  I  came  over  to  tell  you  something." 

"What  is  it,  Ben?"  questioned  Dave. 

"  Come  on  outside." 

The  boys  walked  out  into  the  garden  and  down 
to  the  summerhouse,  where  they  proceeded  teo 
make  themselves  comfortable. 

"  It's  about  Nat  Poole,"  continued  Ben  Bass- 
wood.  "  I  guess  you  had  some  kind  of  a  run-in 
with  him,  didn't  you?" 

u  Not  exactly,"  answered  Roger.  "  We  caught 
him  tormenting  Professor  Potts  and  we  put  a  stop 


to  it." 


"  Well,  you  had  some  trouble  with  Nat's  dad, 
didn't  you?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Dave.  "  Did  Nat  tell  you  ?  " 
he  added  quickly. 

"  No,  I  know  of  the  whole  thing  by  accident. 
I  had  to  go  to  the  building  where  Mr.  Poole  has 
his  new  office.  While  I  was  waiting  to  see  a 


CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT  33 

man  and  deliver  a  message  for  my  dad  I  over- 
heard some  talk  between  Mr.  Poole  and  Nat.  It 
was  mighty  warm,  I  can  tell  you !  " 

"What  was  said?  "  demanded  Phil 

"  Mr.  Poole  accused  Nat  of  something  and  Nat, 
at  first,  denied  it.  Then  Mr.  Poole  said  some- 
thing about  arrest,  and  Professor  Potts,  and  Nat 
got  scared  and  begged  his  father  to  save  him. 
Then  Mr.  Poole  mentioned  Dave  and  a  pistol 
and  said  he  couldn't  do  anything  if  that's  the  way 
matters  stood,  and  Nat  began  to  beg  for  dear 
life,  asking  his  father  to  let  Dave  alone  this  time. 
At  last  Mr.  Poole  said  he  would,  but  the  way 
he  lectured  Nat  was  a  caution.  He  said  he 
wouldn't  give  Nat  a  cent  more  of  spending-money 
this  summer." 

"Hurrah,  that  lets  you  out,  Dave!"  cried 
Roger.  "  The  case  against  you  is  squashed." 

"  The  Pooles  will  have  to  let  it  drop,"  added 
the  shipowner's  son.  "  And  I  am  mighty  glad 
of  it." 

"  I  hope  you  are  right,"  said  Dave,  and  his  face 
showed  his  relief. 

They  had  to  tell  Ben  all  about  what  had  hap- 
pened. Then  the  latter  wanted  to  see  the  bear 
target,  and  the  crowd  ended  by  doing  some  more 
target  practicing.  But  this  time  Dave  was  very 
careful  how  he  shot,  and  so  were  the  others. 

It  had  been  decided  that  the  start  for  the  West 


34   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

was  to  be  made  early  the  following  week,  and  for 
several  days  the  boys  and  the  girls  were  busy 
getting  ready.  Laura  had  traveled  a  great  deal, 
so  the  journey  would  not  be  a  novelty  to  her,  but 
with  Jessie  it  was  different. 

"  I  know  I  shall  like  it,  once  I  am  there,"  said 
Jessie.  "  But,  oh,  it  seems  such  a  distance  to 
go!" 

l<  We'll  take  good  care  of  you,"  answered 
Dunston  Porter. 

"  And  I  am  sure  you'll  like  Mrs.  Endicott  and 
Belle,"  added  Laura.  "  Belle  is  as  full  of  fun 
as  a — a — oh,  I  don't  know  what." 

"  Shad  is  of  bones,"  suggested  Dave,  who  stood 
by. 

"  Oh,  what  a  comparison !  "  cried  Jessie,  and 
then  giggled  in  the  regulation  girl  fashion. 

They  were  to  take  a  local  train  to  Buffalo  and 
change  at  that  city  for  Chicago.  Ben  Basswood 
decided  to  go  with  them  as  far  as  Buffalo,  so 
there  would  be  quite  a  party.  The  boys  gathered 
their  things  together  and  were  ready  to  start  a 
full  day  beforehand.  The  buying  of  railroad 
tickets  and  berths  in  the  Pullmans  was  left  entirely 
to  Dunston  Porter. 

A  farewell  gathering  had  been  arranged  for 
the  young  people  by  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  to  take 
place  on  the  afternoon  previous  to  their  departure 
for  the  West.  About  a  dozen  boys  and  girls  from 


CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT  35 

Crumville  and  vicinity  were  invited.  The  party 
was  held  on  the  lawn  of  the  Wadsworth  estate, 
which  was  trimmed  for  the  occasion  with  banners, 
flags,  and  lanterns.  A  small  orchestra,  located 
in  the  summerhouse,  furnished  the  music. 

Of  course  Dave  and  his  chums  donned  their 
best  for  this  occasion,  and  Laura  and  Jessie  ap- 
peared in  white  dresses  that  were  as  pretty  as 
they  could  be.  Jessie's  wavy  hair  was  tied  up  in 
new  ribbons,  and  as  Dave  looked  at  her  he  thought 
she  looked  as  sweet  as  might  a  fairy  from  fairy- 
land. He  could  not  help  smiling  at  her,  and  when 
she  came  and  pinned  on  his  coat  a  buttonhole 
bouquet  he  thought  he  was  the  happiest  boy  in 
the  whole  world. 

"  Oh,  but  won't  we  have  the  grand  times  when 
we  get  out  West !  "  he  said  to  her. 

"  I  hope  so,  Dave,"  she  answered.     "  But " 

"  But  what,  Jessie?"  he  questioned,  as  he  saw 
her  hesitate. 

"  I — I  can't  get  that  Link  Merwell  out  of  my 
head.  I  am  so  sorry  his  father's  ranch  is  next  to 
that  we  are  going  to  visit." 

"  Oh,  don't  worry.  We'll  make  Link  keep  his 
distance,"  he  returned,  lightly.  Yet  it  must  be 
confessed  that  he  was  just  a  bit  worried  himself. 

Among  the  first  boys  to  arrive  was  Ben  Bass- 
wood,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  calling  Phil  and 
Roger  aside. 


36   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  I  don't  want  to  worry  Dave  or  the  others," 
said  Ben.  "  But  I  think  somebody  ought  to  be 
told." 

"  Told  what?  "  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  About  Nat  Poole.  I  got  the  word  from  a 
friend  of  mine,  Joe  Devine.  Joe  was  talking  with 
Nat  Poole,  and  he  said  Nat  was  very  angry  at 
all  of  us,  and  angry  because  Mrs.  Wadsworth  was 
giving  us  the  party,  especially  as  he  wasn't  invited. 
Joe  said  Nat  intimated  that  he  was  going  to  make 
the  affair  turn  out  a  fizzle." 

"  A  fizzle  ?  "  queried  Phil.     "  How  ?  " 

"  Joe  didn't  know,  but  he  told  me,  on  the 
quiet,  that  I  ought  to  watch  out,  and  ought  to 
warn  the  others.  But  I  don't  like  to  say  any- 
thing to  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  or  the  girls.  You 
see,  it  may  be  only  talk,  and  if  it  is,  what's  the  use 
of  getting  the  ladies  excited?" 

"  It  would  be  just  like  Nat  to  play  some  dirty 
trick,"  said  the  shipowner's  son.  ;(  The  question 
is,  What  will  it  be?" 

"  Somebody  ought  to  stand  guard,"  was  Roger's 
advice.  "  And  I  think  we  ought  to  tell  Dave." 

This  was  readily  agreed  upon,  and  Dave  was 
told  a  few  minutes  later.  His  face  at  once  showed 
his  concern. 

"It  mustn't  be  allowed!"  he  said,  earnestly. 
"  I  don't  care  so  much  on  my  own  account,  but 
think  of  Mrs.  Wadsworth  and  the  girls!  Yes, 


CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT  37 

we  must  keep  our  eyes  open,  and  if  anything  goes 

wrong "  He  finished  with  a  grave  shake  of 

his  head. 

"What  are  you  boys  plotting  about?"  asked 
Laura,  as  she  came  up.  "  Come,  it  won't  do  to 
stick  together  like  this,  with  all  the  girls  arriving. 
Dave,  go  and  make  folks  at  home, — and  you  do 
likewise,"  she  added,  with  a  smile  at  Phil  and 
Roger. 

The  boys  dispersed  and  mingled  with  the  arriv- 
ing guests.  Dave  did  all  he  could  to  make  every- 
body feel  at  home,  but  all  the  while  he  was  doing 
it  he  kept  his  eyes  wide  open. 

Presently,  chancing  to  look  in  the  direction  of 
the  automobile  house,  Dave  saw  somebody  skulk- 
ing along  r.  hedge.  The  person  was  visible  only 
a  second,  so  the  youth  could  not  make  out  who 
it  was. 

"  Maybe  it's  all  right,  but  I'll  take  a  look  and 
make  sure,"  he  told  himself,  and  excused  himself 
to  a  girl  to  whom  he  had  been  talking.  As  he 
hurried  across  the  lawn  he  passed  Phil. 

"  Come  with  me,  will  you?  "  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice. 

"See  anything?"  demanded  the  shipowner's 
son. 

"  I  saw  somebody,  but  I  am  not  sure  who  it 
was." 

Taking  care  not  to  make  his  departure  notice- 


38   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

able,  Dave  walked  toward  the  automobile  house 
and  Phil  followed  him.  Soon  the  pair  were  behind 
some  rose  bushes  and  then  they  gained  the  shelter 
of  the  heavy  hedge. 

"There  he  is!"  said  Dave,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  It's  Nat  Poole,  sure  enough !  " 

"What's  he  doing?"  asked  Phil. 

"  Nothing  just  now.  But  I  guess  he  is  up  to 
something." 

Keeping  well  out  of  sight  behind  the  hedge,  the 
two  boys  watched  the  son  of  the  money-lender. 
Nat  was  sneaking  past  the  automobile  house  and 
making  for  a  washing-shed  adjoining  the  kitchen 
of  the  mansion. 

""I  think  I  know  what  he  is  up  to,"  murmured 
Dave.  "  Come  on  after  him,  Phil." 

As  silently  as  shadows  Dave  and  Phil  followed 
the  money-lender's  son  to  the  shed.  Once  Nat 
looked  around  to  see  if  the  coast  was  clear,  and 
the  followers  promptly  dropped  down  behind  a 
lilac  bush.  Reassured,  Nat  entered  the  shed,  and 
Dave  and  Phil  tiptoed  their  way  up  and  got 
behind  the  open  door. 

The  hired  help  were  in  the  kitchen,  so  the  shed 
was  empty.  On  the  floor  stood  an  ice-cream 
freezer  full  of  home-made  ice-cream,  and  on  a 
shelf  rested  several  freshly  baked  cakes,  all  covered 
with  chocolate  icing,  set  out  to  harden. 

"  Now  I'll  fix  things,"  Dave  and  Phil  heard 


CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT  39 

the  money-lender's  son  mutter.  "  Salt  in  the 
cream  and  salt  in  the  layer  cakes  will  do  the  trick ! 
Some  of  the  boys  and  girls  will  think  they  are 
poisoned!  " 

Nat  took  up  a  bag  of  salt  that  was  handy, — used 
for  making  the  cream, — and  proceeded  to  open 
the  can  in  the  freezer.  Dave  watched  him  as 
a  cat  does  a  mouse. 

Just  as  Nat  was  on  the  point  of  dumping  some 
of  the  salt  into  the  ice-cream  he  felt  himself 
jerked  backwards.  The  salt  dropped  to  the  floor, 
and  Nat  found  himself  confronting  Dave,  with 
Phil  but  a  few  steps  away. 

"  You  contemptible  rascal !  "  cried  Dave,  his 
eyes  flashing. 

"  Why — I — er "  stammered  the  money- 
lender's son.  He  did  not  know  what  to  say. 

"Going  to  spoil  the  cream,  eh?"  came  from 
Phil.  "  It  was  a  mighty  dirty  trick,  Nat." 

"  On  a  level  with  what  you  did  to  Professor 
Potts,"  added  Dave. 

"  I — er — I  wasn't  going  to  do  nothing!  "  cried 
Nat,  with  little  regard  for  grammar.  "  I — er — I 
was  looking  at  the  ice-cream,  that's  all." 

"  A  poor  excuse  is  worse  than  none,"  answered 
Dave,  grimly.  "  You  were  going  to  put  salt  in 
the  cream  and  spoil  it,  you  needn't  deny  it." 

"  See  here,  Dave  Porter,  I  want  you  to  under- 
stand  " 


40   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Don't  talk,  Nat,  we  know  all  about  it,"  broke 
in  Phil.  "  You  planned  to  come  here  yesterday, 
and  we  can  prove  it.  We  were  on  the  lookout 
for  you." 

At  this  assertion  the  face  of  the  money-lender's 
son  changed.  He  grew  quite  pale. 

"  I  haven't  time  to  waste  on  you — I  want  to 
enjoy  this  party,"  said  Dave.  "  Come  along  with 


me." 


'Where  to?"  demanded  Nat. 

"  I'll  show  you,"  answered  Dave,  and  caught 
the  money-lender's  son  by  the  arm.  "  Catch  hold 
of  him,  Phil,  and  don't  let  him  escape." 


CHAPTER  V 

AT   NIAGARA   FALLS 

"  SEE  here,  I  want  you  to  let  me  alone ! " 
stormed  Nat  Poole,  and  he  tried  to  jerk  himself 
free. 

"  Listen,  Nat,"  said  Dave,  sternly.  "  If  you 
make  a  noise  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you,  for  it 
will  bring  the  others  here,  and  then  we'll  tell  about 
what  you  tried  to  do.  Maybe  Mrs.  Wadsworth 
will  call  an  officer,  and  anyway  all  the  girls  and  the 
boys  will  be  down  on  you.  Now,  if  you  want 
Phil  and  me  to  keep  this  a  secret,  you've  got  to 
come  along  with  us." 

"  Where  to?  "  grumbled  Nat,  doggedly. 

"  You'll  soon  see,"  returned  Dave,  briefly,  and 
with  a  wink  at  his  chum. 

Somewhat  against  his  will,  Nat  walked  toward 
the  end  of  the  garden.  He  wished  to  escape 
from  Mrs.  Wadsworth  and  the  others,  but  he  was 
afraid  Dave  and  Phil  contemplated  doing  some- 
thing disagreeable  to  him.  Maybe  they  would 
give  him  a  sound  thrashing. 

"Don't  you  touch  me — don't  you  dare!"  he 
41 


42   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

cried,  when  the  barn  was  reached.  "  Remember, 
my  father  can  have  you  locked  up,  Dave  Porter!  " 

"  Well,  don't  forget  what  Professor  Potts  can 
do  to  you,  Nat,"  answered  Dave. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  Phil,  in 
an  aside  to  his  chum. 

Dave  was  trying  to  think.  He  had  been  half 
of  a  mind  to  lock  Nat  in  the  harness  closet  until 
the  party  was  over — thus  preventing  him  from 
making  more  trouble.  Now,  however,  as  he  heard 
a  locomotive  whistle,  a  new  thought  struck  him. 

"  Come  on  down  to  the  railroad  tracks,  Nat,"  he 
said. 

"What  for?" 

"  Maybe  you  can  take  a  journey  for  your 
health — if  the  freight  train  stops  at  the  water 
tank." 

"  I — er — I  don't  understand." 

"  You  will — if  the  train  stops — and  I  think  it 
will." 

The  three  boys  pushed  off  across  the  fields  to 
where  the  railroad  tracks  were  located.  Here 
was  the  very  spot  where  Dave  had  been  picked 
up  years  before.  Not  far  off  was  a  water  tank, 
where  the  locomotives  usually  stopped  for  their 
supply.  A  long  freight  train  was  just  slowing 
down.  Many  of  the  cars  were  empty  and  the 
doors  stood  wide  open. 

"Up  you  go,  Nat!"  cried  Dave. 


AT  NIAGARA  FALLS  43 

"Me?     Where?" 

"  Into  one  of  the  empty  cars.  You  are  going 
to  have  a  ride  for  your  health." 

"  Not  much!  Why,  that  train  don't  stop  short 
of  Jack's  Junction,  twelve  miles  from  here!  " 

"  I  know  it.  You  can  walk  back — the  exercise 
will  do  you  good." 

"  I — er — I  don't  want  to  go !  "  And  Nat  made 
as  if  to  run  away.  But  Dave  and  Phil  held  him. 

"  But  you  are  going!  "  cried  Dave.  "  In  you 
go!" 

He  and  Phil  forced  the  money-lender's  son 
toward  one  of  the  open  cars.  Still  protesting, 
Nat  was  shoved  up  and  through  one  of  the  open 
doors.  The  door  on  the  other  side  was  closed. 
He  ran  to  it,  but  found  it  locked  from  the  outside. 

"Hi,  you  let  me  off!  "  he  cried,  as  the  train 
gave  a  jerk  and  commenced  to  move. 

"  Don't  jump,  you  might  hurt  yourself!  "  cried 
Dave,  and  shoved  the  door  shut. 

"Hope  you  have  a  pleasant  journey!"  called 
out  Phil,  merrily. 

"  And  a  nice  walk  back!  "  added  Dave. 

The  freight  train  quickly  gathered  headway. 
Dave  and  Phil  ran  down  by  the  side  of  the  tracks. 
They  saw  Nat  shove  back  the  door  about  a  foot 
and  peer  out.  He  did  not  dare  to  jump,  and,  see- 
ing them,  shook  his  fist  wildly. 

"  He's   off  I  "   cried  the  shipowner's  son,   and 


44   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

then  commenced  to  laugh.  "  Dave,  that  was  just 
all  right!  He's  booked  for  quite  a  journey." 

>l  Twelve  miles,  or  more,  and  he'll  either  have 
to  wait  for  a  train,  and  pay  his  fare  back,  or 
walk." 

"  Exactly.  And  if  the  train  hands  catch  him, 
maybe  they'll  give  him  the  thrashing  he  de- 


serves." 


"  They'll  hustle  him  off  pretty  lively,  that's 
sure.  Well,  one  thing  is  certain,  he  won't  bother 
this  party  any  more,"  added  Dave.  "  Let  us  get 
back." 

They  hurried  to  the  house,  and  as  they  did  so 
the  freight  train  passed  out  of  sight  and  hearing. 
They  thought  they  had  seen  the  last  of  Nat,  but 
they  were  mistaken. 

14  Where  have  you  boys  been?"  asked  Laura, 
when  they  reappeared,  after  having  brushed  off 
their  clothing. 

"  I'll  tell  you  later,"  answered  her  brother. 

"Anything  serious?" 

"  Not  very.     It's  all  over  now,  Laura." 

The  party  was  now  in  full  swing  and  proved 
a  big  success.  The  boys  and  girls  played  all 
sorts  of  games,  and  also  did  a  little  dancing. 
Then  refreshments  were  served.  When  the  ice- 
cream and  cake  were  passed  around,  Phil  and  Dave 
could  not  help  but  look  at  each  other,  and  the 
shipowner's  son  winked  suggestively. 


AT  NIAGARA  FALLS  45 

"  Why  are  you  winking  at  Dave?  "  demanded 
Roger. 

"  Did  I  wink?  "  questioned  Phil,  solemnly,  and 
then  Dave  began  to  laugh  and  almost  choked  on 
a  piece  of  cake  in  his  mouth. 

After  the  refreshments  came  more  games  and 
some  singing,  and  it  was  nine  o'clock  before  the 
lawn  party  came  to  an  end.  The  girls  and  boys 
from  the  town  went  home  mostly  in  pairs,  but 
Ben  remained  behind,  for  he  knew  Dave  and  Phil 
had  something  to  tell.  All  the  lads  congregated 
in  the  summerhouse  and  Laura  and  Jessie  went 
with  them. 

"  Wanted  to  spoil  the  ice-cream  and  chocolate 
layer-cakes !  "  cried  Jessie.  "  Oh,  how  mean !  n 

"  It  served  him  right,  to  put  him  on  the  freight 
train !  "  was  Laura's  comment.  "  I  hope  he  was 
carried  about  fifty  miles,  and  has  to  walk  back." 

"  He'll  be  trying  another  trick  before  we  leave," 
said  Roger.  "  We  must  keep  our  eyes  open." 

"  Isn't  it  a  shame  he  can't  be  nice?  "  came  from 
Jessie.  "  If  he  keeps  on  like  this,  he'll  not  have 
a  friend  in  the  world." 

"  Well,  he  hasn't  many  friends  now,"  answered 
Dave.  "  At  Oak  Hall  the  majority  of  the  fellows 
turned  him  down  just  as  they  turned  down  Link 
Merwell." 

"  Oh,  that  Link  Merwell !  "  sighed  Laura.  "  I 
trust  I  never  see  or  hear  of  him  again!  " 


46    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Bright  and  early  the  next  day  the  boys  arose  and 
packed  the  last  of  their  baggage.  The  girls  were 
up,  too,  and  joined  the  lads  at  the  breakfast  table. 
Dave's  father  was  there,  and  also  Uncle  Dunston, 
as  well  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wadsworth. 

"  Well,  I  certainly  hope  you  all  have  a  grand 
time,"  said  the  rich  manufacturer. 

"  And  I  hope  the  outing  does  Jessie  good," 
said  his  wife.  Jessie  was  not  very  strong  and 
the  doctor  had  said  that  a  trip  to  the  Far  West 
might  do  much  towards  building  up  her  constitu- 
tion. 

"  You  must  write  often,"  said  Mr.  Porter  to 
his  daughter.  "  And  make  Dave  write,  too." 

"  I'll  not  forget,"  said  the  daughter,  and  Dave 
nodded. 

It  was  rather  a  sober  meal,  although  every  one 
tried  to  be  cheerful.  The  big  touring-car,  Mr. 
Wadsworth's  latest  purchase,  was  at  the  door, 
and  the  baggage  had  gone  on  ahead.  Soon  it  was 
time  to  go. 

"  Good-by,  everybody!  "  cried  Dave,  and  shook 
hands  with  his  father  and  Mrs.  and  Mr.  Wads- 
worth.  The  lady  of  the  house  gave  him  a  warm 
kiss,  and  kissed  all  the  others. 

"Wish  you  were  going  too,  daddy!"  cried 
Laura  to  her  father. 

"  Well,  I'll  go  the  next  time,"  was  the  answer, 
with  a  smile. 


AT  NIAGARA  FALLS  47 

In  another  five  minutes  the  boys  and  girls  and 
Dunston  Porter  were  off  for  the  depot,  the  others 
waving  their  hands  as  the  travelers  disappeared. 
Tears  came  to  Mrs.  Wadsworth's  eyes,  at  the 
parting  with  Jessie,  yet  she  did  her  best  to 
smile. 

"  We'll  be  back  in  six  weeks !  "  called  out  Dave. 
"  And  as  brown  as  berries  and  as  strong  as  oxen !  " 
And  this  caused  everybody  to  laugh.  Little  did 
any  of  them  realize  what  adventures  those  six 
weeks  were  to  contain. 

The  train  for  Buffalo  was  on  time,  and  when 
it  rolled  into  the  station  they  climbed  on  board, 
and  the  boys  found  the  right  seats  in  the  parlor 
car  and  settled  the  girls.  Ben  was  there,  and  had 
a  seat  with  the  crowd. 

"  I've  got  news,"  said  Ben,  as  the  train  went 
on  its  way.  "  Nat  Poole  isn't  back  yet." 

"  Who  told  you?" 

"  Tom  Marvin.  He  called  this  morning  to 
see  Nat  about  something.  Nat  had  sent  a  tele- 
gram home  from  a  place  called  Halock,  stating  he 
had  been  carried  off  on  a  freight  train." 

"  Humph !  then  he  went  further  than  we  sup- 
posed he  would,"  mused  Phil.  "  Where  is 
Halock?" 

Nobody  knew,  and  they  consulted  a  time-table 
taken  from  a  rack  in  the  car. 

"  It's  a  flag-station  not  far  from  Buffalo,"  an- 


48   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

nounced  Roger.  "  Say,  he  certainly  was  carried 
some  distance !  " 

"  What  if  he  didn't  have  any  money  to  get 
home  with?"  asked  Laura. 

"  Maybe  he  telegraphed  for  some,"  said  Phil. 

"  He  could  pawn  his  watch — he  always  wears 
one,"  added  Ben.  "  But  it  is  queer  that  he  didn't 
get  off  at  Jack's  Junction." 

"  Perhaps  he  liked  to  ride — after  he  once  got 
used  to  it,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 

On  and  on  went  the  train,  stopping  at  several 
towns  of  more  or  less  importance.  The  girls  and 
boys  amused  themselves  studying  the  time-table 
and  in  gazing  out  of  the  window,  and  Dunston 
Porter  told  them  of  some  of  his  experiences  while 
roving  in  various  portions  of  the  globe,  for,  as 
my  old  readers  are  aware,  he  was  a  great 
traveler.  At  noon  they  went  into  the  dining-car 
for  lunch,  and  Dave  and  Roger  sat  at  one  table 
with  Laura  and  Jessie  opposite  to  them. 

"  Say,  this  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,  as  Shadow 
Hamilton  would  say,"  said  the  senator's  son,  as 
the  train  rushed  along  while  they  ate.  "  A  little 
girl  had  a  sandwich  on  a  train  like  this,  once, 
and  then  boasted  afterwards  that  she  had  eaten 
a  sandwich  three  miles  long." 

"Well,  I  think  I'll  eat  some  roast  beef  ten 
miles  long,"  said  Dave.  "  And  two  miles  of  apple 
pie  to  boot !  "  And  this  caused  the  girls  to  giggle. 


AT  NIAGARA  FALLS  49 

They  reached  Buffalo  in  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon and  there  had  to  wait  until  half-past  ten  for 
the  night  express  to  Chicago.  Here  Ben  left 
them,  for  the  boat  he  was  to  take  was  waiting 
at  the  dock. 

"  Send  me  a  letter  to  Duluth,"  he  said,  on  part- 
ing, and  Dave  promised  to  do  so. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  we  might  do,"  said  Dunston 
Porter.  "  We  can  take  a  trolley  trip  to  Niagara 
Falls  and  come  back  on  a  train.  We  have  plenty 
of  time." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I'd  like  to  see  Niagara!  "  cried  Jes- 
sie, clapping  her  hands. 

The  others  all  voted  the  suggestion  a  good  one, 
and  soon,  having  checked  their  baggage  at  the 
depot,  they  boarded  a  trolley  car  bound  for  the 
Falls. 

"  We  can  look  at  the  Falls  for  an  hour, 
get  supper,  and  still  have  time  in  which  to 
return  to  Buffalo,"  said  Mr.  Porter.  "  When 
we  get  there  we  can  get  a  carriage  to  drive  us 
around." 

The  trolley  car  made  good  time  and  it  was  still 
daylight  when  Niagara  was  reached.  Hackmen 
were  numerous,  and  Dunston  Porter  soon  engaged 
a  turnout  to  take  them  around  Goat  Island  and 
other  points  of  interest.  They  could  hear  the 
roaring  of  the  Falls  plainly,  and  the  sight  of  the 
great  cataracts  impressed  them  deeply* 


50   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"Want  to  go  down  under  the  Falls?"  asked 
Phil,  as  they  were  riding  along. 

"  No,  indeed !  "  answered  Laura. 

"  We  haven't  time,  anyway,"  answered  Roger. 
"  We've  got  to  get  back  or  we'll  miss  that  train 
for  Chicago,  and  that  won't  do,  for  our  berths 
have  been  engaged  ahead." 

At  the  bridge  leading  to  the  Three  Sisters  Islands 
the  whole  party  alighted,  so  as  to  get  a  better 
view  of  the  upper  rapids  of  the  river.  As  they 
did  so,  a  youth  seated  on  a  rock  near  by  looked 
at  them  in  amazement.  Then  of  a  sudden  he 
slipped  off  the  rock  and  dodged  out  of  sight. 

The  youth  was  Nat  Poole. 


CHAPTER  VI 

NAT  POOLE'S  LITTLE  GAME 

IT  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  relate  how 
Nat  Poole  happened  to  be  at  Niagara  Falls,  and 
how  he  chanced  to  have  with  him  a  man  who  was 
willing  to  do  almost  anything  for  the  sake  of  a 
little  money. 

When  Nat  was  placed  aboard  of  the  freight 
train  by  Dave  and  Phil  he  was  in  a  great  rage, 
yet  powerless,  for  the  time  being,  to  help  himself. 
The  train  moved  so  swiftly  that  he  did  not  dare 
to  jump  off,  and  soon  Crumville  was  left  far  be- 
hind. 

As  soon  as  he  had  cooled  off  for  a  little,  Nat 
found  out  that  he  was  very  tired.  He  had  been 
out  the  night  before  with  some  of  the  fast  young 
men  of  the  town,  playing  cards  and  pool,  and  had 
had  but  two  hours'  sleep  in  twenty-four.  He 
found  a  pile  of  old  bagging  in  one  end  of  the 
freight  car  and  sat  down  to  rest.  Presently  his 
eyes  closed,  and  before  he  knew  it  he  was  sound 
asleep.  He  continued  to  sleep  during  the  stop  at 
Jack's  Junction,  and  he  did  not  notice  another 

51 


52   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

party  enter  the  freight  car,  nor  did  he  notice  the 
door  being  closed  and  locked. 

When  Nat  awoke  it  was  with  a  sense  of  pain. 
The  other  party  in  the  car  had  stepped  on  his 
ankle.  He  gave  a  cry  and  this  was  answered 
by  an  exclamation  of  astonishment. 

"  Who  are  you?"  asked  Nat,  sitting  up  and 
then  leaping  to  his  feet. 

"  I  reckon  I  can  ask  the  same  question/'  re- 
turned the  stranger. 

"  Are  you  a  train  hand?  " 

"Are  you?" 

"  No." 

"Neither  am  I." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence  after  this,  and 
then  the  unknown  lit  a  match  and  held  it  close 
to  Nat.  Both  gave  a  cry  of  astonishment. 

"  Hello !  You  are  Nat  Poole,  the  boy  I  met 
at  Rally's  Pool  Parlors,"  said  the  stranger. 

1  Yes,  and  you  are  Tom  Shocker,  the  traveling 
salesman." 

"  Right  you  are — but  I'm  not  a  traveling  sales- 
man any  longer,"  answered  Tom  Shocker,  and 
gave  a  short  laugh. 

"Why?"  asked  Nat. 

"  Lost  my  job." 

"  I  suppose  your  boss  found  out  that  you  were 
spending  your  time  playing  cards  and  pool,"  said 
Nat.  "  How  did  you  make  out  after  I  left  you?  " 


NAT  POOLE'S  LITTLE  GAME  53 

"  Lost  all  I  had.  That's  the  reason  I  am  steal- 
ing a  ride  on  this  freight,"  answered  the  man. 
"  But  what  are  you  doing  here?  "  he  continued  in 
curiosity. 

In  his  own  fashion  Nat  related  how  he  had  been 
attacked  by  two  of  his  former  school  enemies, 
dragged  to  the  car  and  thrown  in.  He  added 
that  he  had  been  next  to  unconscious,  and  so  was 
unable  to  fight  off  Dave  and  Phil.  Then  he  asked 
how  Tom  Shocker  happened  to  be  on  board. 

"  I  got  on  at  Jack's  Junction,"  said  the  man. 
"  I  haven't  got  but  fifty  cents  left  and  I  thought 
I'd  beat  my  way  to  Buffalo,  where  I  think  I  can 
get  some  more  cash.  But  I  didn't  think  they'd 
lock  the  door  of  the  car." 

During  the  ride  to  Halock,  Tom  Shocker  man- 
aged to  learn  a  good  deal  about  Nat  and  his 
trouble  with  Dave  and  the  others,  and  he  also 
learned  that  the  youth  had  considerable  spending- 
money  with  him.  The  car  was  opened  at  Halock 
and  run  off  on  a  siding,  and  the  pair  got  off. 

"  Let  us  take  a  trolley  to  Buffalo,"  said  Shocker. 
'*  There  we  can  get  a  room  at  a  hotel — that  is,  if 
you'll  put  up  the  price." 

"  All  right ;  I  might  as  well  go  to  Buffalo,  now 
I  am  so  close,"  answered  Nat.  "  But  I'll 
send  word  home  first,"  he  added,  and  this  was 
done. 

After  resting  at  a  hotel  in  Buffalo,  Tom  Shocker 


54   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

proposed  a  trip  to  Niagara  Falls,  Nat,  of  course, 
to  pay  the  way. 

"  I'll  pay  you  back  some  day/'  said  Shocker, 
offhandedly.  "  When  I  strike  another  situation 
I'll  have  plenty  of  cash.  And,  in  the  meantime,  if 
you  want  me  to  do  anything  for  you,  say  the 
word.  I  am  open  for  any  proposition  that  you 
may  offer." 

On  the  way  to  the  Falls,  Tom  Shocker  told 
much  about  himself,  and  Nat  learned  that  the 
fellow  was  one  of  those  shiftless  mortals  who 
change  from  one  situation  to  another.  He  had 
been  a  salesman  on  the  road  for  five  different 
concerns,  had  run  a  restaurant,  a  poolroom,  and  a 
moving-picture  show,  and  had  even  been  connected 
with  a  prize-fighting  affair.  He  did  not  care  what 
he  did  so  long  as  it  paid,  and  many  of  his  trans- 
actions had  been  of  the  shady  sort. 

Nat  did  not  enjoy  the  visit  to  the  Falls  as  much 
as  he  had  anticipated.  He  found  Tom  Shocker 
rather  coarse,  and  the  man  wanted  to  drink  when- 
ever the  opportunity  afforded.  From  the  rapids 
below  the  Falls  the  pair  walked  to  Goat  Island, 
and  there  Nat  was  on  the  point  of  giving  Shocker 
the  slip  when  he  chanced  to  see  Dave  and  the 
others  of  the  party. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  demanded  Shocker,  who 
stood  close  by,  as  he  saw  the  money-lender's  son 
dart  out  of  sight  behind  the  rocks. 


NAT  POOLE'S  LITTLE  GAME  55 

"  Do  you  see  that  boy?  "  demanded  Nat,  point- 
ing with  his  hand. 

"  Yes." 

"  That  is  Dave  Porter,  the  fellow  who  put  me 
on  the  freight  car.  And  over  yonder  is  Phil 
Lawrence,  the  other  chap." 

"You  don't  say!     What  brings  them  here?" 

'*  They  are  on  their  way  out  West,  and  I  sup- 
pose they  ran  up  here  to  see  the  sights.  I — I  wish 
I  could  do  something  to  'em !  "  added  Nat,  bitterly. 

"  Maybe  you  can,"  answered  Tom  Shocker, 
always  open  for  action.  "  I'll  tell  you  one  thing," 
he  continued,  in  a  low  tone.  "  If  they  had  treated 
me  as  they  treated  you,  I'd  not  let  them  off  so 
easily." 

"  Will  you  help  me,  if  I — er — try  to  fix  that 
Dave  Porter?"  asked  Nat.  "He  started  it.  I 
don't  care  so  much  about  Lawrence." 

"  Sure  I'll  help  you.  Anything  you  say  goes," 
answered  Tom  Shocker,  readily.  He  thought  he 
saw  a  chance  of  getting  another  dollar  or  two  out 
of  Nat. 

The  two  walked  behind  some  bushes  and  there 
talked  the  matter  over  for  several  minutes. 

"  Fargo's  is  the  place  to  go  to,"  said  Shocker, 
presently.  "  I  know  we  can  trust  him." 

"  Of  course,  I  don't  want  to  hurt  Porter,"  said 
Nat,  nervously.  "  I  only  want  to  scare  him." 

"  Sure,  I  understand.     We'll  scare  the  wits  out 


56   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

of  him,"  returned  Tom  Shocker.  "  Now,  let  me 
see.  I  have  it — we'll  catch  him  on  the  bridge. 
His  carriage  is  bound  to  come  that  way,  to  get 
off  Goat  Island." 

Dave  and  his  friends  spent  the  best  part  of  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  around  the  Three  Sisters  Islands 
and  then  returned  to  their  carriage. 

"  Now  we  can  go  to  the  hotel  and  have  dinner,1' 
said  Dunston  Porter.  "  And  then  we  can  take  a 
local  train  back  to  Buffalo." 

The  carriage  was  just  crossing  the  bridge  that 
connects  Goat  Island  with  the  city  of  Niagara 
Falls  when  a  man  stepped  up  and  stopped  the 
turnout.  It  was  Tom  Shocker. 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I  reckon  this  is  the  number, 
176,"  he  said.  "  Is  there  a  young  man  here  named 
David  Porter?" 

4  Yes,  I  am  Dave  Porter,"  answered  Dave,  and 
looked  at  Shocker  curiously.  The  fellow  was  a 
total  stranger  to  him. 

"  Got  a  note  for  you,"  went  on  Shocker,  and 
produced  it.  It  was  sealed  and  marked  Private 
in  plain  letters. 

Wondering  what  the  note  could  contain,  Dave 
opened  and  read  it.  His  face  changed  color  and 
he  gave  a  little  gasp. 

"  Excuse  me,  I'll  have  to — to  leave  you  for  a 
little  while,"  he  stammered  to  the  others. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  Roger. 


NAT  POOLE'S  LITTLE  GAME  57 

"  I — I  can't  tell  you  just  now."  Dave  turned 
to  his  uncle.  "  Where  will  you  get  dinner,  Uncle 
Dunston?  " 

"  At  the  International." 

"  All  right — I'll  be  there  before  long,"  answered 
Dave,  and  sprang  to  the  ground. 

"But  what's  up?"  cried  Phil.  He  could  see 
that  his  chum  was  much  disturbed. 

"  I— I  can't  tell  you,  Phil.  But  I'll  be  back 
before  you  finish  your  dinner." 

"  Don't  you  want  some  one  along? "  asked 
Laura,  who  did  not  like  to  see  her  brother  depart 
in  the  company  of  such  a  looking  stranger  as 
Tom  Shocker. 

"No,  Laura.  Oh,  it's  all  right.  I'll  be  at 
the  International  on  time,"  said  Dave,  and 
then  he  hurried  over  the  bridge  and  down  a 
side  street  of  the  city,  in  company  with  Tom 
Shocker. 

The  note  Dave  had  received  was  written  in  a 
cramped  hand  and  ran  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  DAVE  : — You  will  be  surprised  to  re- 
ceive this,  but  I  saw  you  in  town  to-day  and  noted 
the  number  of  your  carriage.  I  am  in  deep  trouble 
and  would  like  you  to  come  and  see  me  in  private, 
if  only  for  five  or  ten  minutes.  You  can  aid  me 
a  great  deal.  Please  don't  tell  any  of  the  others 
of  your  party.  The  man  who  brings  this  to  you 


58    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

will  take  you  to  me.     Please,  please  don't  dis- 
appoint me. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"ANDREW  DALE." 

Andrew  Dale  was  the  first  assistant  teacher  at 
Oak  Hall,  and  an  instructor  who  had  made  himself 
very  dear  to  Dave  and  some  of  the  other  boys. 
He  had  sided  with  Dave  when  the  latter  was 
termed  "  a  poorhouse  nobody,"  and  this  had  made 
teacher  and  pupil  close  friends. 

"What's  the  matter  with  my  friend?"  asked 
Dave,  as  he  and  Tom  Shocker  hurried  through 
several  side  streets  of  the  city. 

"  I  don't  know  exactly,"  was  the  reply. 
"  Money  matters,  I  think,  and  the  gent  is  sick, 
too.  He  wanted  it  kept  very  quiet — said  it  might 
ruin  his  reputation  if  it  got  out." 

"  Well,  I  didn't  say  anything  to  anybody,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  How  much  further  have  we  to 
go?" 

"  Only  a  couple  of  blocks." 

But  the  "  couple  of  blocks  "  proved  to  be  five, 
and  they  had  to  make  another  turn  or  two.  Then 
they  came  to  the  side  door  of  a  building  used  as 
a  lodging  house  and  a  pool  and  billiard  parlor. 
This  resort  was  run  by  a  man  named  Bill  Fargo, 
a  sport  who  had  once  had  dealings  with  Shocker 
in  a  prize-fighting  enterprise. 


NAT  POOLE'S  LITTLE  GAME  59 

"  He's  got  a  room  here — up  on  the  third  floor," 
said  Shocker,  as  he  saw  Dave  hesitate.  "  Come 
on,  I'll  show  you." 

He  went  ahead,  up  the  somewhat  dilapidated 
stairs,  and  Dave  followed.  In  the  pool  and  bil- 
liard parlors  below  some  men  were  laughing  and 
talking,  and  clicking  the  ivory  balls  together,  but 
upstairs  it  was  silent,  and  nobody  seemed  to  be 
around. 

During  the  past  few  years  of  his  life  Dave  had 
had  a  number  of  stirring  adventures,  and  he  was 
by  no  means  as  green  as  he  had  been  when  first 
he  had  set  out  for  Oak  Hall.  He  did  not  like 
the  looks  of  his  surroundings,  and  he  resolved  to 
keep  his  wits  about  him  and  be  on  his  guard. 

"  Why  should  Mr.  Dale  come  to  a  place  like 
this?  "  he  asked  himself.  He  knew  the  teacher  to 
be  a  model  man,  who  did  not  drink  or  gamble. 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  Tom  Shocker,  as  he 
stopped  in  front  of  a  door  at  the  back  of  the 
hallway  on  the  third  floor  of  the  building.  "  I 
guess  you  can  go  right  in.  He's  on  the  bed  with 
his  broken  ankle." 

"  His  broken  ankle?  "  repeated  Dave.  "  Why 
didn't  you  tell  me  of  that  before?" 

"  I  thought  I  did,"  returned  Shocker,  smoothly. 
"Here  you  are.  It's  dark,  isn't  it?  I'll  light 
the  gas,"  and  he  commenced  to  fumble  in  his 
pocket,  as  if  hunting  for  a  match. 


60   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

It  was  dark,  and  for  several  seconds  Dave  could 
see  little  or  nothing.  He  heard  a  faint  groan. 

"  Is  that  you,  Mr.  Dale?  "  he  asked,  kindly. 

A  low  reply  was  returned — so  low  that  Dave 
could  not  make  out  what  was  said.  He  went  into 
the  room  a  few  steps  further.  As  he  did  so  Tom 
Shocker  closed  the  door  and  locked  it.  Dave 
heard  the  click  of  the  lock's  bolt  and  wheeled 
around. 

"  What  did  you  do?  "  he  demanded  sharply. 

"  I  guess  I've  got  you  now,  Dave  Porter !  " 
cried  another  voice,  and  now  Dave  recognized 
the  tones  of  Nat  Poole.  "  You  played  me  a 
scurvy  trick  by  putting  me  aboard  the  freight  train. 
I  guess  it's  about  time  I  paid  you  back;  don't  you 
think  so?" 


CHAPTER  VII 

IN  WHICH  DAVE  IS  ROBBED 

DAVE  found  himself  in  a  decidedly  unpleasant 
situation.  The  door  of  the  room  was  locked  and 
Tom  Shocker  stood  against  it.  The  man  lit  the 
gas,  but  allowed  it  to  remain  low.  Dave  saw  Nat 
Poole  standing  close  to  a  bed.  The  money-lender's 
son  had  a  small  bottle  and  some  cotton  in  his  hand. 

"  I  suppose  this  is  a  trick?  "  said  Dave,  as  coolly 
as  he  could. 

"  Rather  good  one,  too,  isn't  it?  "  returned  Nat, 
lightly. 

u  That  depends  on  how  you  look  at  it,  Nat. 
Did  you  forge  Mr.  Dale's  name?  " 

«  Why— er— I— er " 

"  That  isn't  a  nice  business  to  be  in." 

"  Humph!  you  needn't  preach  to  me,  Dave 
Porter!  You  played  a  dirty  trick  on  me  and  I 
am  going  to  pay  you  back." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?'* 

"  You'll  see  soon  enough." 

"  I  want  you  to  open  that  door!  "  cried  Dave, 
wheeling  around  and  confronting  Tom  Shocker. 
"  Open  it  at  once  I  " 

6l 


62   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  This  is  none  of  my  affair,  Mr.  Porter,"  an- 
swered the  man,  with  a  slight  sneer.  "  You  can 
settle  it  with  Mr.  Poole." 

"  I'll  settle  with  you,  you  rascal !  "  cried  Dave, 
and  leaping  forward  he  caught  Tom  Shocker  by 
the  shoulder  and  forced  him  aside.  "  Give  me 
that  key!" 

"  Don't  you  do  it!  "  cried  Nat.  "  Here,  wait, 
I'll  fix  him!  Hold  him!" 

Nat  poured  some  of  the  stuff  in  the  bottle  on 
the  cotton  and  advanced  on  Dave.  At  the  same 
time  Tom  Shocker  caught  Dave  by  both  arms  and 
essayed  to  hold  him. 

Dave  was  strong,  and  a  sudden  fear  gave  him 
additional  strength.  He  might  have  been  a  match 
for  his  two  assailants,  but  for  the  stuff  on  the 
cotton.  This  was  chloroform,  and  when  Nat 
clapped  the  saturated  cotton  to  his  mouth  and  nose 
he  was  speedily  rendered  all  but  unconscious. 

"  Don't  give  him  too  much!  "  he  heard  Tom 
Shocker  say. 

"  You  watch  him,  while  I  tie  his  hands,"  an- 
swered Nat,  and  then  Dave  was  forced  back  and 
onto  the  bed.  He  struggled  weakly,  but  could  not 
free  himself,  and  before  he  realized  it  he  was  a 
close  prisoner,  with  his  hands  tied  fast  to  the  head 
of  the  bed  and  his  feet  fast  to  the  lower  end. 
He  was  flat  on  his  back. 

"  Now,  you  can  stay  there  until  somebody  comes 


IN  WHICH  DAVE  IS  ROBBED  63 

to  release  you,"  said  Nat,  mockingly.  "  I  reckon 
that  will  teach  you  a  lesson  not  to  send  me  off 
on  freight  trains!  " 

"  Nat,  I've  got  to  get  back  to  Buffalo  to  catch 
my  train  for  Chicago." 

"  Humph.     Not  to-night.     You'll  stay  here." 

"  The  others  will  worry  about  me." 

"  Let  them  worry.     I'll  be  glad  of  it." 

"  Better  destroy  that  note,"  suggested  Tom 
Shocker.  Then  he  noticed  Dave's  watch  and 
chain,  and  valuable  stickpin,  and  his  eyes  glistened. 
He  began  to  wonder  how  much  money  the  lad 
had  in  his  pocket. 

The  note  was  taken  by  Nat.  Then  the  money- 
lender's son  took  a  soft  pillow  and  placed  it  over 
Dave's  face. 

"  That  will  keep  you  from  calling  too  loudly," 
he  said.  "  I  guess  it  won't  hurt  your  breathing 
though.  Come,"  he  added  to  the  man.  "  Let  us 
get  out  of  here,  before  somebody  comes." 

"  All  right,"  answered  Tom  Shocker.  He 
gazed  wistfully  at  Dave's  watchchain  and  at  the 
stickpin.  "  I — er — all  right,"  he  added,  and  fol- 
lowed Nat  to  the  door. 

The  pair  walked  outside  and  the  man  locked  the 
door.  Then  both  hurried  below  and  out  of  the 
side  door  to  the  street.  They  went  as  far  as  the 
corner. 

"  Let  us  make  for  the  depot,"  said  Nat,  who 


64   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

was  plainly  nervous.  Now  that  the  trick  had  been 
played  he  was  becoming  alarmed  over  the  possible 
consequences.  "  You  don't  think  he'll  smother?  " 
he  asked,  anxiously. 

"Smother?  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  answered  Tom 
Shocker.  "  He'll  be  out  of  that  room  inside  of 
an  hour.  He  wasn't  tied  very  hard,  and  he's  sure 
to  make  a  racket  sooner  or  later." 

Tom  Shocker  went  with  Nat  a  distance  of  two 
blocks  more  and  then  came  to  a  sudden  halt. 

"  By  jove,  I  forgot !  "  he  cried.  "  I  must  see 
my  old  friend,  Dickson,  before  I  leave  town.  It 
won't  take  me  but  a  few  minutes.  You  go  to  the 
depot  and  wait  for  me."  And  before  the  money- 
lender's son  could  reply,  he  was  off,  down  another 
side  street. 

Tom  Shocker  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
thoroughfares  of  Niagara  Falls  and  it  did  not 
take  him  long  to  double  on  his  tracks  and  return 
to  Fargo's  resort.  He  mounted  the  stairs,  pulling 
his  hat  far  down  over  his  forehead  as  he  did  so. 
Then  he  tied  his  handkerchief  over  the  lower  por- 
tion of  his  face.  He  had  the  key  of  the  room 
still  in  his  possession,  and  with  it  he  unlocked  the 
door. 

The  light  was  still  burning,  and  on  the  bed  he 
could  see  Dave  struggling  to  free  himself  of  his 
bonds  and  of  the  pillow  which  still  rested  lightly 
over  his  head.  Holding  the  pillow  in  place  with 


IN  WHICH  DAVE  IS  ROBBED  65 

one  hand  Shocker  gained  possession  of  the  watch 
and  chain  and  stickpin  with  the  other.  Then  he 
took  from  Dave's  pocket  a  small  roll  of  bank-bills. 
He  tried  to  appropriate  the  lad's  ring,  but  could 
not  get  it  off  the  finger. 

Dave,  finding  himself  being  robbed,  struggled 
harder  than  ever.  But  the  bonds  held  and  he  was 
helpless  to  protect  himself.  In  less  than  two  min- 
utes Tom  Shocker  accomplished  his  purpose,  and 
then  he  glided  out  of  the  room  silently,  once  more 
locking  the  door.  Once  on  the  street  he  set  off 
on  a  brisk  walk,  but  he  did  not  go  in  the  direction 
of  the  depot. 

"  I  reckon  I  can  afford  to  part  company  with 
Poole  now,"  the  man  told  himself.  "  Won't  there 
be  a  row  when  that  Porter  gets  free!  But  he 
can't  blame  me!  "  he  added,  with  a  chuckle. 

Left  once  more  to  himself,  Dave  continued  to 
struggle,  and  at  last  he  managed  to  toss  the  pillow 
from  his  face.  Then  he  breathed  more  freely,  for 
which  he  was  thankful. 

;'  What  a  mean  trick!  "  he  murmured,  as  he  saw 
that  his  watch  was  gone. 

Presently  he  heard  footsteps  passing  along  the 
hallway,  and  he  uttered  a  call.  The  footsteps 
came  to  a  stop. 

"  Come  in  here,  please !  "  he  called.  "  I  need 
help." 

"What's  up?"   asked  somebody  outside,   and 


66   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

then  the  door  was  tried.  Soon  a  key  was  inserted 
in  the  lock,  the  door  was  opened,  and  a  chamber- 
maid showed  herself. 

"  Untie  me  at  once !  "  cried  Dave. 

The  maid  turned  up  the  gas  and  then  uttered 
a  cry  of  astonishment.  Without  waiting  to  ques- 
tion the  youth  she  flew  out  of  the  room  and  down 
the  stairs,  to  return,  a  few  minutes  later,  with  a 
burly  man. 

"What's  this  mean?"  asked  the  man,  as  he 
commenced  to  untie  the  ropes  that  held  Dave. 

"  It's  a  trick  that  was  played  on  me,"  answered 
Dave,  thinking  rapidly.  He  was  on  the  point  of 
stating  that  he  had  been  robbed,  but  he  did  not 
wish  to  create  too  much  of  a  scene.  He  felt  sure 
that  Nat  would,  sooner  or  later,  return  his  belong- 
ings to  him. 

"A  trick,  eh?"  said  the  hotel  proprietor. 
"  Certainly  a  queer  one.  Where  are  the  fellows 
who  hired  this  room?" 

"  I  don't  know.     They  tied  me  fast  and  left." 

"  Did  you  know  them?  " 

"  I  knew  one  of  them — he  goes  to  boarding 
school  with  me." 

"Oh,  I  see,  a  schoolboy's  trick,  eh?  You 
schoolboys  are  up  to  all  sorts  of  pranks." 

"  You  don't  know  where  they  went  to,  do  you?  " 
questioned  Dave,  as  he  leaped  up  from  the  bed 
and  stretched  himself. 


IN  WHICH  DAVE  IS  ROBBED  67 

"  No,  I  haven't  the  least  idea.  They  hired 
this  room  for  to-night,  that's  all." 

"  I  think  I'll  try  to  catch  them,"  said  the  youth. 
"  Much  obliged  for  setting  me  free." 

"  You  are  welcome.  But  say,  I  don't  want  any 
more  skylarking  around  here,"  added  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  resort,  as  Dave  hurried  out  of  the 
room  and  down  the  stairs. 

He  had  found  his  hat  on  the  floor,  and,  after 
brushing  up  a  little,  he  started  on  a  brisk  walk  for 
the  hotel  where  the  others  were  to  have  dinner. 
He  did  not,  of  course,  know  the  way,  and  so 
hired  a  newsboy  for  a  dime  to  act  as  guide. 

"  Dave !  you  have  been  away  a  long  time !  " 
cried  Laura,  as  he  appeared.  "  We  have  almost 
finished  eating." 

"  Never  mind,  I  can  get  all  I  wish  in  a  few 
minutes,"  he  answered. 

"  Why,  your  stickpin  is  gone !  "  cried  Jessie. 
"  And  your  watchchain,  too." 

"  Dave,  have  you  been  robbed?  "  questioned  his 
uncle,  quickly. 

"  Yes  and  no,"  he  answered,  with  a  grim  smile. 
"  I  suppose  I  might  as  well  tell  you  what  hap- 
pened," he  continued,  and  then  gave  a  few  of 
the  details.  Then  he  had  to  tell  his  uncle  how 
Nat  had  been  put  aboard  the  freight  car. 

"  Well,  it's  a  case  of  tit  for  tat,  I  suppose," 
said  Dunston  Porter.  "  You  can  thank  your  stars 


68    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

that  you  got  away  so  quickly.  A  little  later  and 
you  would  have  missed  the  train, — and  we  would 
have  missed  it,  too — for  I  should  not  have  gone 
on  without  you." 

"  I  suppose  Nat  thinks  he  has  the  laugh  on  you," 
said  Roger.  "  But  what  of  your  watch  and  pin 
and  money?  Are  you  going  West  without 
them?" 

"  I  suppose  I'll  have  to.  But  I'll  make  him 
give  them  up  in  short  order.  I'll  send  him  a 
telegram." 

"  Tell  him  if  he  doesn't  send  them  on  by  express 
at  once  that  you  will  put  the  case  in  the 
hands  of  the  law,"  said  Phil.  "  That  will  scare 
him." 

Dave  was  quickly  served  with  a  meal,  and  he 
lost  no  time  in  eating  what  he  wanted.  Then  the 
entire  party  walked  toward  the  railroad  station,  to 
catch  the  train  for  Buffalo. 

"  I  was  a  chump  to  follow  that  man  up  into 
that  room,"  said  Dave  to  his  chums.  "  Next  time 
I'll  be  more  on  my  guard.  But  I  thought  Mr. 
Dale  must  be  in  some  dire  trouble." 

"  It  was  a  nervy  thing  to  do — to  forge  his 
name,"  was  the  comment  of  the  senator's  son. 
"  It's  a  pity  you  didn't  keep  the  note." 

"  I  couldn't.  After  I  was  tied  up  they  had  me 
at  their  mercy." 

"  Who  was  the  man?" 


IN  WHICH  DAVE  IS  ROBBED  69 

"  I  don't  know.     I  never  saw  him  before." 

"  He  must  have  been  some  friend  of  Nat's." 

"  I  suppose  so." 

Arriving  at  the  station,  they  found  they  had 
several  minutes  to  wait.  When  the  train  rolled 
in  all  got  on  board  but  Roger,  who  was  buying 
a  late  newspaper  from  a  boy  on  the  platform. 

"  Hurry  up,  or  you'll  get  left!  "  cried  Dave. 

"  I'll  get  on  the  car  behind!  "  cried  the  senator's 
son,  and  did  so.  He  did  not  rejoin  his  companions 
until  the  train  was  on  its  way  towards  Buffalo. 

"  What  do  you  think!  "  he  cried.  "  Nat  Poole 
is  on  board!  " 

"  Nat!  "  ejaculated  Dave.  "  Is  that  man  with 
him?" 

"  No,  Nat  seems  to  be  alone." 

"  Did  he  see  you?" 

"  I  don't  think  so.  He  was  crouched  down  in 
a  seat,  as  if  in  deep  thought." 

"  I'll  interview  him,"  said  Dave,  and  left  the 
car,  followed  by  Phil,  Roger,  and  his  uncle. 

"  Don't  quarrel  on  the  train,"  cautioned  Dunston 
Porter.  "  But  insist  upon  it  that  Nat  return  your 
belongings." 

Roger  readily  led  the  way  to  where  the  son  of 
the  Crumville  money-lender  sat,  crouched  down, 
and  with  his  eyes  partly  closed.  When  touched 
on  the  shoulder  Nat  sat  up,  and  a  look  of  fright 
came  into  his  face. 


70    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

'*  Why — er — why "  he  stammered  and  was 

unable  to  proceed. 

"  Didn't  expect  to  see  me  quite  so  soon,  did 
you?"  returned  Dave,  pleasantly,  and  dropped 
into  the  seat  beside  him.  "  Nat,  if  it's  all  the 
same  to  you,  I'll  take  my  watch,  my  stickpin,  and 
my  money,"  he  added,  coldly. 

"  Your  what?  "  exclaimed  Nat.  Then  he  stared 
blankly  at  Dave.  "  I — er — I  don't  understand 
you." 

'  Yes,  you  do.  I  want  my  things,  and  I  want 
them  at  once !  " 

;t  I  haven't  got  your  things,  and  you  needn't 
say  I  have !  "  retorted  the  money-lender's  son. 
"  Oh,  I  see  how  it  is,"  he  added,  struck  by  a  sudden 
thought.  "  You  want  to  play  another  joke  on  me, 
don't  you?  Well,  it  won't  work  this  time.  I 
didn't  touch  your  things,  and  you  know  it." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  YOUTH   IN  THE  BALCONY 

FOR  a  moment  Dave  stared  at  Nat  Poole  in 
perplexity.  He  saw  that  the  money-lender's  son 
was  in  earnest.  Like  a  flash  he  realized  that  some- 
thing was  wrong. 

u  See  here,  I  want  no  more  fooling,  Nat,"  he 
said,  sharply.  "  My  watch  and  chain,  my  scarf- 
pin,  and  thirty-three  dollars  in  bills  were  taken 
from  me,  either  by  you  or  your  companion.  I 
want  them  back,  and  now !  " 

"  Dave,  you — er — you  don't  mean  that  you — 
you  were — robbed?  "  Nat  could  hardly  utter  the 
words.  His  teeth  were  fairly  chattering  with 
sudden  fright. 

"  I  certainly  was,  if  you  want  to  call  it  by  such 
an  ugly  name." 

"But  I  didn't  touch  the  things,  you  know  I 
didn't!" 

"  Then  your  companion  did." 

"  No,  he  didn't,  he  came  away  with  me,  you 
know  that.  All  we  did  was  to  tie  you  fast  and 
throw  that  pillow  over  your  face.  Then  we  came 

71 


72    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

away  and  locked  the  door.  It  was  only  a  bit  of 
fun,  to  pay  you  back  for  putting  me  on  the  freight 
car." 

"  One  of  you  came  back  and  took  the  things. 
I  couldn't  see  who  it  was,  for  the  pillow  was  still 
over  my  head." 

"  I  didn't  come  back — I  give  you  my  word  of 
honor.  Shocker  must  have  done  it !  Oh,  the  ras- 
cal! "  And  now  Nat's  face  showed  his  concern. 

"  Who  was  that  man?  "  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  A  fellow  I  met  in  Crumville  a  few  days  ago. 
He  appeared  to  be  straight  enough."  And  then 
Nat  told  his  story  from  beginning  to  end.  He 
said  that  he  had  hung  around  the  depot  waiting 
for  Tom  Shocker  to  come,  but  that  the  fellow 
had  failed  to  show  himself. 

"  It's  as  plain  as  day,"  said  Phil.  "  If  Nat's 
story  is  true,  this  Shocker  went  back  and  robbed 
Dave." 

"  Yes,  but  if  he  did,  Nat  is  partly  responsible, 
for  he  left  me  tied  up/'  said  Dave. 

"  Of  course  he  is  responsible,"  came  from  Roger. 

"  I  don't  see  how,"  grumbled  the  money-lender's 
son,  but  his  uneasiness  showed  that  he  thought 
as  did  the  others. 

"  You'll  see  how,  if  that  Shocker  doesn't  show 
up  with  my  things,"  said  Dave,  sternly.  "  I'll 
hold  you  and  your  father  responsible  for  every 
dollar's  worth." 


THE  YOUTH  IN  THE  BALCONY         73 

This  threat  almost  caused  Nat  to  collapse,  and 
he  felt  even  worse  when  Dave  added  that  the 
scarfpin  and  the  watch  and  chain  were  worth 
about  one  hundred  dollars. 

"  I'm  going  to  hunt  up  Shocker's  address  as 
soon  as  I  get  home,"  said  Nat.  "  I'll  run  him 
down,  see  if  I  don't — and  I'll  make  him  give  the 
things  up,  too  1  " 

"  Well,  I'll  give  you  a  fair  amount  of  time," 
answered  Dave.  "  After  that  I'll  look  to  you 
and  your  father  to  make  good." 

Fortunately  for  Dave,  he  could  easily  get  along 
without  the  watch  and  the  scarfpin,  and  his  uncle 
let  him  have  some  money  in  place  of  that  taken. 
But  Mr.  Porter  told  Nat  that  his  father  would 
have  to  settle  the  matter  if  Tom  Shocker  was  not 
brought  to  book. 

At  Buffalo  the  others  separated  from  Nat  Poole, 
who  said  he  was  going  to  take  the  early  morning 
train  home.  Nat  felt  very  bad  over  the  outcome 
of  his  joke,  and  to  a  certain  extent  Dave  and  his 
chums  felt  sorry  for  him. 

"  I  was  a  big  fool  to  take  up  with  a  stranger 
like  Shocker,"  said  the  money-lender's  son. 
'You'll  not  catch  me  doing  it  again!  I  only 
hope  I  can  lay  my  hands  on  him  1  "  Then,  just 
as  he  was  about  to  leave,  he  turned  back  and  beck- 
oned Dave  to  step  to  one  side. 

"  What  do  you  want  now?  "  asked  Dave. 


74    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  I  want  to  show  you  that  I — er — that  is,  I 
am  not  the  enemy  you  think,  Dave,"  was  the 
low  answer.  "  I  am  going  to  give  you  a  warning. 
I  wasn't  going  to  say  anything,  at  first.  It's  about 
a  letter  I  got  from  Link  Merwell." 

"Merwell?"  And  now  Dave  was  all  atten- 
tion. 

'  Yes,  he  sent  it  to  me  from  Chicago,  where  he 
is  stopping  on  his  way  to  his  father's  ranch.  He 
said  he  had  heard  that  you  were  going  to  the 
Endicott  ranch,  and  he  added  that  if  you  came 
out  West  he  would  see  to  it  that  you  got  all  that 
was  coming  to  you — those  are  his  very  words. " 

"  When  did  you  get  this  letter?  " 

"  A  couple  of  days  ago.  Take  my  advice  and 
beware  of  him,  for  he  means  business.  When  he 
left  Oak  Hall  he  was  the  maddest  boy  I  ever  saw. 
He  will  do  something  awful  to  you  if  he  gets  the 
chance." 

"  I'll  be  on  my  guard — and  I  am  much  obliged 
for  telling  me,"  said  Dave;  and  then  he  and  Nat 
separated,  not  to  meet  again  for  many  weeks. 

The  train  for  Chicago  was  already  standing  in 
the  station,  and  the  Porters  and  their  friends  were 
soon  on  board.  The  two  girls  had  a  private  com- 
partment and  the  others  several  sections,  and  all 
proceeded  to  make  themselves  at  home. 

"  I  never  get  into  a  sleeping  car  without  thinking 
of  old  Billy  Dill,  the  sailor  who  went  with  me 


THE  YOUTH  IN  THE  BALCONY        75 

to  the  South  Seas,"  said  Dave  to  Laura  and  Jessie. 
"  He  thought  we'd  have  to  sleep  in  the  seats,  and 
when  the  porter  came  and  made  up  the  berths  he 
was  the  most  surprised  man  you  ever  saw." 

"  And  where  is  he  now?  "  asked  Jessie. 

"  In  a  home  for  aged  sailors.  Father  and  Uncle 
Dunston  have  seen  to  it  that  he  is  comfortably  cared 
for." 

"  I  must  visit  him  some  day,"  said  Laura. 
"  Just  think!  if  it  hadn't  been  for  him  we  might 
never  have  met,  Dave !  "  And  she  gave  her 
brother  a  tight  hug. 

The  train  was  a  comfortable  one,  and  all  of 
the  party  slept  well.  When  they  arose,  they  found 
themselves  crossing  the  level  stretches  of  Indiana. 
The  boys  and  Mr.  Porter  took  a  good  wash-up  and 
were  presently  joined  on  the  observation  end  of 
the  car  by  Laura  and  Jessie. 

"What  a  beautiful  morning!  "  cried  Jessie. 

"  I  feel  just  as  if  I'd  like  to  get  out  and  walk," 
added  Laura,  and  this  caused  the  others  to  laugh. 

They  had  an  appetizing  breakfast  of  fruit,  fish, 
eggs,  and  rolls,  with  coffee,  and  took  their  time 
over  the  repast.  Then  Dunston  Porter  pointed 
out  to  them  various  points  of  interest.  Before 
long,  they  reached  a  small  town  and  then  came 
to  the  suburbs  of  the  great  city  by  the  lakes. 

"  Here  we  are !  "  cried  Roger,  at  last,  as  they 
ran  into  the  immense  train  shed.  Here  all  was 


76    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

bustle  and  seeming  confusion,  and  they  picked  their 
way  through  the  crowd  with  difficulty.  The  boys 
rather  enjoyed  this,  but  it  made  Laura  and  Jessie 
shrink  back. 

"  Why,  it's  as  bad  as  New  York!  "  said  Jessie. 

"  Almost,"  answered  Dunston  Porter.  "  Come, 
we'll  soon  find  a  couple  of  carriages  to  take  us  to 
the  hotel.'1 

That  the  girls  and  the  others  might  see  some- 
thing of  Chicago,  it  had  been  arranged  to  remain 
in  that  city  .two  days.  They  were  to  stop  at  a 
new  and  elegant  hotel  on  the  lake  shore,  and 
thither  they  were  driven  with  their  baggage. 

"  It  certainly  is  as  bustling  as  New  York,"  was 
Roger's  comment,  as  they  drove  along.  "  Just 
look  at  the  carriages,  and  autos,  and  trucks !  " 

"  This  afternoon  we'll  hire  an  automobile  to 
take  us  around,"  said  Dunston  Porter.  "  It  is  the 
only  way  to  see  a  good  deal  in  a  little  time." 

They  were  fortunate  in  getting  good  accommo- 
dations at  the  new  hotel,  and  the  boys  and  girls 
were  struck  by  the  elegance  of  the  rooms,  and, 
later,  by  the  sumptuousness  of  the  dining-hall. 

"  Why,  it's  fit  for  a  palace !  "  declared  Jessie. 

"  Beats  the  Crumville  Hotel,  doesn't  it?"  said 
Dave,  dryly,  and  this  caused  the  girls  to  giggle 
and  the  other  boys  to  laugh. 

An  automobile  was  engaged  at  the  stand  in  the 
hotel,  and  immediately  after  lunch  the  whole  party 


THE  YOUTH  IN  THE  BALCONY         77 

went  sightseeing,  visiting  the  lake  front,  Lincoln 
Park,  and  numerous  other  points  of  interest.  At 
the  park  they  alighted  to  look  at  the  animals,  and 
this  pleased  the  girls  especially. 

"  To-morrow  morning  I'll  have  a  little  business 
to  attend  to,"  said  Dunston  Porter,  "  and  I'll  have 
to  let  you  take  care  of  yourselves  for  a  few  hours. 
I  propose  that  you  boys  take  the  girls  around  to 
some  of  the  big  department  stores." 

"  Oh,  yes !  "  cried  Laura,  who  had  a  woman's 
delight  for  finery.  Jessie  was  also  interested,  for 
her  opportunities  for  visiting  big  stores  were 
rare. 

Mr.  Porter  had  already  purchased  tickets  for 
one  of  the  theaters,  where  they  were  playing  a 
well-known  and  highly  successful  comedy  drama, 
and  this  they  attended  that  evening  after  dinner  at 
the  hotel.  Their  seats  were  on  the  right  in  the 
orchestra,  so  they  had  more  or  less  of  a  chance 
to  view  the  opposite  side  of  the  auditorium. 

"  They  certainly  have  a  full  house,"  said  Roger, 
who  sat  on  one  side  of  Dave,  while  Jessie  sat 
on  the  other.  "  I  believe  every  seat  is  taken." 

"  That  shows  that  a  good  drama  pays,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  This  is  clean  as  well  as  interest- 
ing." His  eyes  were  roving  over  the  sea  of  faces, 
upstairs  and  down.  "  I  wonder  how  many  a 
theater  like  this  can  hold?" 

"  Two  thousand,  perhaps." 


78    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  It  certainly  looks  it,  Roger.  That  gallery — 
Well,  I  declare!" 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  Do  you  see  that  fellow  in  the  front  row  in 
the  balcony?  The  one  next  to  the  aisle?  " 

"Yes.     What  of  him?" 

"  Looks  to  me  like  Link  Merwell." 

"  Oh,  Dave,  you  must  be  mistaken." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  It  looks  like  Merwell,  and 
Nat  Poole  said  he  was  in  Chicago." 

"  So  he  did.  New  you  speak  of  it,  he  does 
look  like  Merwell.  Wish  we  had  an  opera  glass, 
we  might  make  sure." 

"  I'll  see  if  we  can't  borrow  a  glass,"  said  Dave. 

He  looked  around  and  saw  that  a  lady  directly 
in  front  of  Jessie  had  a  pair  of  glasses  in  her  lap. 
He  spoke  to  Jessie,  and  the  girl  asked  the  lady 
to  lend  her  the  glasses  for  a  minute,  and  the  favor 
was  readily  granted,  for  it  was  between  the  acts, 
and  there  was  nothing  on  the  stage  to  look  at. 
Dave  adjusted  the  glasses  and  turned  them  on  the 
balcony. 

"  It's  Merwell,  right  enough,"  he  announced. 

"  Let  me  see/'  said  the  senator's  son,  and  took 
the  glasses  from  Dave.  As  he  pointed  them  at 
the  youth  in  the  balcony,  the  latter  looked  down 
on  Roger  and  those  with  him.  He  gave  a  start 
and  then  leaned  forward. 

"  It's  Merwell,  and  he  sees  us !  "  cried  Roger. 


THE  YOUTH  IN  THE  BALCONY        79 

"  What's  up?  "  asked  Phil,  who  was  some  seats 
away. 

"  Link  Merwell, — up  in  the  balcony,"  answered 
Dave,  and  pointed  with  his  finger.  Phil  turned 
in  the  direction,  and  as  he  did  so,  Link  Merwell 
doubled  up  his  fist  and  raised  it  in  the  air  for 
an  instant. 

"  Merwell,  sure  as  you're  born,"  said  the  ship- 
owner's son.  "  And  full  of  fight  1  " 

"  Oh,  Dave,  you  mustn't  quarrel  here !  "  whis- 
pered Laura,  who  sat  on  the  other  side  of  Roger. 

"  We'll  not  quarrel  here,"  answered  her  brother. 
"  But  I  am  glad  I  saw  him,"  he  added  to  his 
chums.  "  Now  we  can  keep  on  our  guard." 

The  play  went  on,  and,  for  the  time  being, 
the  boys  and  the  girls  paid  no  further  attention 
to  Link  Merwell.  Just  as  the  final  curtain  was 
being  lowered,  Dave  looked  up  toward  the  balcony. 

"  He  has  gone,"  he  announced. 

"  Perhaps  he  was  afraid  we'd  come  after  him," 
suggested  Phil. 

"  Maybe  he  came  downstairs  to  watch  for  us," 
added  Roger.  "  Keep  your  eyes  open  when  we 
go  out." 

They  did  as  the  senator's  son  suggested.  They 
saw  nothing  of  Merwell  in  the  foyer,  but  came 
face  to  face  with  the  former  student  of  Oak  Hall 
on  the  sidewalk.  He  glared  at  them,  but  then 
seeing  Dunston  Porter  at  Dave's  side,  slunk  be- 


8o    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

hind  some  other  people,  and  disappeared  from 
view. 

"  My,  what  an  ugly  look! "  said  Laura,  with  a 
shiver. 

"  He  looked  as  if  he  wanted  to  eat  somebody 
up,"  was  Jessie's  comment.  "  Oh,  Dave,  you  must 
be  careful !  " 

"  I  wish  his  father's  ranch  wasn't  so  close  to 
Mr.  Endicott's,"  continued  Dave's  sister.  "  I  de- 
clare, the  more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  nervous  it 
makes  me! " 

"  Don't  you  worry,  Laura,  or  you  either,  Jessie," 
answered  Dave.  "  We'll  take  care  of  Link  Mer- 
well.  If  he  tries  any  of  his  games,  he'll  get 
the  worst  of  it — just  as  he  got  the  worst  of  it 
at  Oak  Hall." 

But  though  Dave  spoke  thus  bravely,  he  was 
much  disturbed  himself.  He  could  read  human 
nature  pretty  closely,  and  that  look  in  Merwell's 
face  had  showed  him  that  the  fellow  meant  to  do 
harm  at  the  first  opportunity  that  was  afforded. 


CHAPTER  IX 

ONLY  A  STREET  WAIF 

IN  the  morning  Dunston  Porter  left  the  hotel 
early,  stating  that  he  would  not  return  until  lunch 
time.  The  boys  and  girls  took  their  time  over 
their  breakfast,  and  then  started  out  for  a  tour 
of  the  big  stores  located  on  State  Street. 

Two  hours  were  spent  in  a  way  that  pleased 
Laura  and  Jessie  greatly.  The  girls  purchased 
several  things,  to  be  mailed  to  the  folks  left  behind. 
Then  all  walked  around  to  the  post-office,  both  to 
see  the  building  and  to  send  the  things  away. 

It  was  while  the  others  were  addressing  their 
packages  and  also  some  picture  postcards,  that 
Dave  saw  a  sight  that  interested  him  greatly. 
Near  one  of  the  doorways  was  a  small  and  ragged 
newsboy  with  half  a  dozen  papers  under  his  arm. 
An  older  youth  had  him  by  the  shoulder  and  was 
shaking  him  viciously. 

"  I  say  it  was  a  five-dollar  gold  piece  I  gave  you 
yesterday  by  mistake!  "  the  older  boy  was  saying. 
"  I  want  it  back." 

"  No,  it  wasn't,  mister,"  the  boy  answered. 
"  It  was  a  cent,  nothing  but  a  cent." 

81 


82    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  I  know  better,  you  little  thief !  Give  me  that 
gold  piece,  or  I'll  call  a  policeman."  And  again 
the  big  youth  shook  the  ragged  newsboy,  causing 
the  papers  to  fall  to  the  sidewalk. 

"  Why,  it's  Link  Merwell !  "  murmured  Dave 
to  himself,  and  he  stepped  in  the  direction  of  the 
pair  who  were  disputing.  Merwell  had  his  back 
to  Dave  and  did  not  see  him. 

"  Are  you  going  to  give  me  my  gold  piece  or 
not?  "  demanded  Link  Merwell,  and  now  he  gave 
the  newsboy  such  a  twist  of  the  shoulder  that  the 
ragged  lad  cried  out  with  pain. 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  your  gold 
piece!"  cried  the  boy  for  at  least  the  tenth 
time.  "  Let  me  go,  please,  mister !  I  ain't 
no  thief!" 

"  I'll  twist  your  little  neck  off  for  you!  "  mut- 
tered Merwell,  and  was  on  the  point  of  hitting 
the  boy  in  the  face  when  Dave  stepped  up  behind 
him  and  caught  his  arm. 

"  Don't  you  know  better  than  to  hit  a  little 
chap  like  this,  Merwell?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Porter!  "  muttered  the  western  youth,  and  his 
face  took  on  a  sour  look.  "  Say,  this  ain't  none 
of  your  affair!  "  he  burst  out.  "  You  keep  your 
hands  off." 

"  Please  don't  let  him  hurt  me!  "  pleaded  the 
ragged  newsboy.  "  I  didn't  do  wrong,  mister.  I 
ain't  seen  no  gold  piece.  He  gave  me  a  cent  yes- 


ONLY  A  STREET  WAIF  83 

terday  for  a  newspaper,  that's  all."  And  the  boy 
looked  imploringly  at  Dave. 

"  He's  got  a  five-dollar  gold  piece  of  mine," 
cried  Link  Merwell.  "  I  want  it.  And  what's 
more,  Dave  Porter,  I  want  you  to  keep  your  nose 
out  of  my  business !  "  he  added,  fiercely. 

"  Merwell,"  answered  Dave,  as  calmly  as  he 
could,  "  I  have  no  desire  to  interfere  in  your 
business.  But  I  am  not  going  to  stand  by  and 
see  you  abuse  this  boy,  or  anybody  else.  I  know 
just  the  sort  you  are — a  bully." 

"  Bah !  Just  because  you  had  me  expelled  from 
Oak  Hall  you  think  you  can  do  anything,  don't 
you?  Well,  just  wait  till  you  get  out  West,  that's 
all !  I'll  show  you  a  thing  or  two  you  won't  forget 
as  long  as  you  live!  " 

"  Take  care  that  you  don't  get  the  worst  of 
it,  Merwell.  Now  let  that  boy  go."  And  Dave 
came  a  step  closer  and  clenched  his  fists. 

"  Going  to  help  the  rascal  steal  five  dollars  from 
me?" 

"  He  says  he  knows  nothing  of  your  gold  piece 
and  he  looks  honest  to  me.  Why  aren't  you  more 
careful  of  your  money?" 

44  He's  got  my  gold  piece  and  I  know  it!  "  de- 
clared Link  Merwell,  loudly.  "  If  he  don't  pass 
it  over,  I'm  going  to  have  him  arrested." 

Quite  a  war  of  words  followed,  the  loud  talking 
attracting  a  crowd,  including  Phil  and  Roger  and 


84    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

the  girls.     The  ragged  newsboy  broke  down  com- 
pletely and  commenced  to  cry  bitterly. 

'  This  is  a  shame,  Merwell,"  said  the  senator's 
son.  "  I  think  as  Dave  does,  that  the  newsboy 
is  honest.  If  you  are  so  hard  up,  I'll  give  you 
five  dollars  out  of  my  own  pocket,"  and  he  pro- 
duced a  roll  of  bills. 

"  I  don't  want  your  money,  Morr!  "  answered 
Merwell,  in  a  rage.  "  I  am  going  to  make  this 
boy  give  me  back  rny  gold  piece." 

"  Say,  you,"  said  a  man  who  had  listened  to 
the  talk  for  several  minutes.  "  When  did  you 
lose  that  five-dollar  gold  piece?  " 

"  Yesterday  morning,"  answered  Link  Merwell. 
"  I  bought  a  newspaper  from  this  boy  and  after  a 
while  I  found  out  I  had  given  him  a  five-dollar 
piece  in  place  of  a  cent." 

"  Did  you  buy  any  postage  stamps  about  the 
same  time?"  went  on  the  man. 

"  Why— er— yes,  I  did."  Link  Merwell  gave 
a  start.  "  Say,  did " 

"  You  did,"  answered  the  man,  with  a  sarcastic 
grin.  "  I'm  the  clerk  at  that  window  and  I'm  just 
going  to  lunch,"  he  explained  to  the  crowd.  "  You 
bought  five  two-cent  stamps  and  threw  down  a 
nickel  and  what  I  supposed  were  five  pennies. 
When  I  looked  at  them  I  saw  one  was  a  five-dollar 
gold  piece.  I  tried  to  call  you  back,  but  you  got 
out  in  such  a  hurry  I  couldn't  locate  you.  If  you'll 


ONLY  A  STREET  WAIF  85 

come  back  with  me  I'll  give  you  the  gold  piece  in 
exchange  for  one  cent." 

"There  you  are,  Merwell!"  cried  Dave. 
"  Now  you  can  see  how  you  were  mistaken  in  this 
boy." 

Link  Merwell's  face  was  a  study.  He  felt  his 
humiliation  keenly,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  he  would 
rather  have  lost  his  five  dollars  than  have  been 
shown  up  in  the  wrong. 

"  All  right,  I'll  go  back  and  get  my  gold  piece," 
he  muttered. 

"  I  think  you  owe  the  newsboy  an  apology,"  said 
Phil. 

"Oh,  you  go  to  thunder!"  snapped  Merwell, 
and  pushed  out  of  the  crowd  as  fast  as  he  could. 
Several  followed  him  and  saw  him  get  his  gold 
piece,  and  they  passed  all  sorts  of  uncomplimentary 
remarks  on  his  actions. 

The  girls  had  become  interested  in  the  ragged 
newsboy,  and  after  he  had  picked  up  his  news- 
papers, they  took  him  to  an  out-of-the-way  corner 
and  questioned  him.  He  said  his  name  was 
Charley  Gamp  and  that  he  was  alone  in  the 
world. 

"  My  mother  died  some  years  ago,"  he  said. 
"  I  don't  know  where  my  father  is.  He  left  us 
when  I  was  a  baby." 

"  And  do  you  make  your  living  selling  news- 
papers?" asked  Laura. 


86    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Mostly,  but  sometimes  I  carry  bundles  and 
run  on  other  errands,"  answered  Charley  Gamp. 

"And  where  do  you  live?"  questioned  Jessie. 

"  Oh,  I  live  with  an  old  woman  named  Posey — 
that  is,  when  I  can  pay  for  my  bed.  When  I 
haven't  the  price  I  go  down  to  the  docks  and  find 
a  bed  among  the  boxes  and  things." 

"  You  poor  boy!  "  murmured  Jessie,  and  some- 
thing like  tears  came  into  her  eyes.  She  turned 
to  Laura.  "  Can't  we  do  something  for  him?" 

"  Perhaps,"  answered  Laura.  "  At  any  rate, 
we  can  give  him  some  money." 

The  boys  came  over,  and  all  had  a  talk  with 
Charley  Gamp,  who  told  much  about  his  former 
life,  when  his  mother  had  been  alive.  Of  his 
father  he  knew  little  or  nothing,  excepting  that  he 
had  not  treated  his  mother  fairly,  according  to  the 
story  told  by  some  former  neighbors. 

"  I  wish  we  could  get  him  some  sort  of  regular 
employment  and  give  him  a  chance  to  go  to  school," 
said  Dave.  "  Let  us  ask  Uncle  Dunston  about 
it.  He  knows  quite  a  number  of  people  in 
Chicago." 

"  If  you  want  to  do  something  for  me,  I'll  tell 
you  what,"  said  Charley,  eagerly.  "  I  need  a  new 
pair  of  shoes."  And  he  looked  down  at  his  foot 
coverings,  which  were  full  of  holes. 

"  And  I  should  say  that  you  needed  a  new  suit 
of  clothes,  too,"  said  Laura. 


ONLY  A  STREET  WAIF  87 

"  And  a  new  cap,"  added  Jessie.  "  I'll  get  you 
the  cap,"  she  went  on.  "  A  real  nice  one,  too." 

In  spite  of  his  rags  and  his  dirty  face  and  hands 
Charley  Gamp  had  a  winning  way  about  him,  and 
the  boys  and  girls  easily  induced  him  to  follow 
them  to  the  hotel.  Here  they  waited  for  the 
return  of  Dunston  Porter,  and  then  asked  what 
might  be  done  with  the  waif. 

"  You'll  have  your  hands  full  if  you  want  to 
help  every  waif  that  comes  along,"  said  Dave's 
uncle,  with  a  smile.  "  Every  big  city  has  hundreds 
of  them." 

"  Well,  we  can't  aid  every  one,  but  we  do  want 
to  aid  Charley,"  answered  Laura.  And  then  she 
and  the  others  told  of  what  had  occurred  at  the 
post-office. 

"  I  don't  know  exactly  how  much  we  can  do," 
said  Dunston  Porter,  slowly.  "  I  know  a  number 
of  people  here,  it  is  true,  but  whether  any  of  them 
will  want  to  bother  with  this  lad  is  a  question. 
However,  after  lunch  I'll  look  into  the  matter." 

As  the  urchin  was  too  dirty  and  ragged  to  eat 
in  the  hotel,  he  was  given  a  quarter  of  a  dollar 
for  his  dinner  and  told  to  come  back  in  half  an 
hour.  This  he  did  willingly,  and  a  little  later  Mr. 
Porter,  Dave,  and  the  two  girls  sallied  forth  to 
see  what  could  be  done  for  the  homeless  boy. 

The  quest  was  more  successful  than  they  had 
anticipated.  Mr.  Porter  knew  a  certain  Mr. 


88    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Latham,  who  was  in  the  wholesale  fruit  business, 
and  this  gentleman  agreed  to  give  Charley  Gamp  a 
job,  at  two  dollars  a  week  and  his  board.  He 
was  to  live  with  a  man  who  had  charge  of  a  ware- 
house where  fruit  was  unloaded,  and  was  to  be 
sent  to  night  school. 

This  settled,  the  waif  was  fitted  out  with  new 
clothing  and  other  things,  and  the  boys  and  girls 
and  Mr.  Porter  made  up  a  purse  for  him  of  twenty 
dollars. 

4  You  had  better  put  the  money  in  a  bank,"  said 
Dave.  '*  Then  you  can  use  it  as  you  need  it, — or 
put  more  to  it." 

"  Twenty  dollars ! "  gasped  Charley  Gamp, 
when  he  saw  the  money.  "  Wow !  Say,  I'll  be 
a  millionaire  before  you  know  it,  won't  I?  "  And 
this  remark  caused  a  laugh.  He  promised  to  put 
the  money  in  a  savings  bank,  where  it  would  draw 
interest,  and  said  he  would  try  his  best  to  add  to 
it  from  his  weekly  wages. 

"And  will  you  go  to  school  regularly?  "  asked 
Mr.  Porter. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I'll  give  you  my  word,"  replied  the 
street  boy,  promptly. 

"  And  as  soon  as  you  learn  to  write,  you  must 
send  us  letters,"  put  in  Jessie.  "  I  shall  wish  to 
hear  from  you  very  much." 

"  I'll  write,  miss.  I  can  write  a  little  already — 
printing  letters,"  answered  Charley  Gamp. 


ONLY  A  STREET  WAIF  89 

"  Then  here  is  my  address,"  and  Jessie  handed 
over  her  card,  and  Laura  did  the  same.  Mr. 
Latham  promised  to  let  Mr.  Porter  know  how  the 
boy  got  along,  and  also  promised  to  make  some 
inquiries  in  the  hope  of  locating  the  lad's  father. 
Charley  Gamp  was  extremely  grateful  for  all  that 
had  been  done  for  him,  and  when  he  parted  from 
his  new  friends  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  My  mother  used  to  tell  me  there  was  angels," 
he  said  to  Jessie  and  Laura.  "  I  didn't  believe  it 
much.  But  I  do  now,  'cause  you're  angels!  " 
And  he  nodded  his  head  earnestly,  to  show  that 
he  meant  what  he  said. 

"  And  now,  ho,  for  the  boundless  West !  "  cried 
Dave,  when  the  party  was  on  its  way  to  the  depot, 
"  Now  for  the  plains  and  the  mountains,  the 
canyons  and  the  rivers,  the  cattle  and  the  broncos, 
the  campfires  and  the  cowboys,  and  the  lasso  and 
the  rifle,  the " 

"  Hello,  Dave  is  wound  up !  "  interrupted  the 
senator's  son. 

"  Must  have  some  of  that  ranch  air  in  his  lungs 
already,"  added  Phil.  "  I  suppose  the  first  thing 
you'll  want  to  do  will  be  to  break  in  a  bronco, 
ride  a  couple  of  hundred  miles,  and  lasso  a  couple 
of  dozen  buffaloes." 

"  Sure  thing,"  answered  Dave.  "  Then  we'll 
build  a  roaring  campfire,  cook  a  ten-pound  bear 
steak  and  eat  it,  shoot  half  a  dozen  Apache  In- 


90   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

dians,  find  a  few  fifteen-pound  nuggets  of  gold,  and 
— wake  up  and  find  the  mince  pie  you  had  for 
supper  didn't  agree  with  you."  And  this  unex- 
pected ending  brought  forth  a  roar  of  laughter,  in 
which  even  Mr.  Porter  joined. 

1  You  won't  find  it  so  evciting  as  all  that  at 
Star  Ranch,"  said  Laura,  after  the  others  had 
quieted  down.  "  But  I  think  you'll  be  able  to  put 
in  the  time  doing  one  thing  or  another." 

"  I  reckon  we'll  hunt  up  some  excitement,"  said 
the  senator's  son.  And  they  did,  as  we  shall  speed- 
ily see. 


CHAPTER  X 

OFF  FOR  THE  BOUNDLESS  WEST 

"  THIS  is  certainly  the  boundless  West!  " 

It  was  Dave  who  spoke,  and  he  addressed  the 
others,  who  were  on  the  rear  of  the  observation 
car  with  him.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
were  the  prairies,  dotted  here  and  there  with  hil- 
locks and  clumps  of  low-growing  bushes.  Behind 
were  the  glistening  rails  and  the  wooden  ties, 
stretching  out  until  lost  in  the  distance. 

A  night  and  the  larger  part  of  the  next  day 
had  been  spent  on  the  train.  They  had  crossed 
the  Mississippi  and  made  several  stops  of  more  or 
less  importance,  including  those  at  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis,  and  now  they  were  rushing  westward 
through  North  Dakota  to  Montana. 

It  was  a  warm,  sunshiny  day,  and  the  young  folk 
and  Mr.  Porter  enjoyed  the  trip  to  the  utmost. 
Dave's  uncle  had  traveled  through  that  section 
of  the  country  several  times,  and  he  pointed  out 
various  objects  of  interest. 

"  I  haven't  seen  any  Indians  yet,"  said  Jessie, 
with  a  pout.  "  I  thought  we'd  see  some  by  this 
time." 


92    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"We'll  see  them  a  little  further  west,"  an- 
swered Dunston  Porter.  "  They'll  come  down  to 
the  railroad  stations,  to  sell  trinkets/'  and  his  words 
proved  true.  They  saw  a  dozen  or  more  redmen 
and  their  squaws  the  following  morning,  at  a  sta- 
tion where  they  stopped  for  water.  But  the  In- 
dians were  so  dirty  that  neither  Jessie  nor  the 
others  wanted  to  trade  with  them,  although  one 
Indian  had  a  set  of  polished  horns  Roger  admired 
very  much. 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  get  some  horns  at  Star 
Ranch,"  said  Laura.  "  The  cowboys  know  how 
to  polish  them  just  as  well  as  these  Indians,  and 
they'll  sell  their  work  just  as  cheaply,  too."  And 
this  proved  to  be  true. 

They  passed  Livingston,  which,  as  Dunston 
Porter  told  the  young  folks,  was  the  transfer  point 
for  Yellowstone  Park,  and  then  continued  on  their 
way  to  Helena.  Here  the  young  folks  left  the 
train,  to  continue  their  journey  on  a  side  line  run- 
ning northward. 

"  Sorry  I  am  not  going  further  with  you,"  said 
Dunston  Porter,  as  he  kissed  his  niece  and  shook 
hands  warmly  with  the  others.  "  I  hope  you  get 
to  the  ranch  in  safety,  and  don't  forget  to  send 
word  to  me  at  Spokane  as  well  as  to  send  word 
home." 

"  And  you'll  be  sure  to  come  to  the  ranch  for 
us  in  about  a  month?  "  asked  Laura. 


OFF  FOR  THE  BOUNDLESS  WEST       93 

"  Yes,  unless  some  special  business  detains  me, 
and  then  I'll  wire  when  I  can  come,"  was  the  reply, 
and  then  the  train  rolled  off,  Dunston  Porter 
standing  at  the  end,  waving  the  boys  and  girls 
adieu. 

"  Now  we  have  got  to  take  care  of  ourselves," 
remarked  the  shipowner's  son.  "  Girls,  you  don't 
feel  afraid,  do  you?" 

"  Oh,  we  are  not  so  very  far  from  Star  Ranch," 
answered  Laura.  "  And  you'll  remember,  I  asked 
Mr.  Endicott  by  telegraph  to  have  somebody  meet 
us.  If  he's  at  the  ranch,  maybe  he'll  come  him- 
self, and  bring  Belle.  I  know  Belle  will  be  just 
wild  to  see  what  sort  of  a  brother  I  have  found," 
she  added,  with  a  warm  glance  at  Dave. 

"  I  hope  she  likes  me,  Laura.  I  know  I  am 
going  to  like  her.  She's  a  jolly-looking  girl,  by 
her  picture." 

"  Oh,  I  know  she'll  like  you.  Jessie,  you  had 
better  look  out!  "  went  on  Laura  in  a  whisper,  and 
this  made  Jessie  turn  very  red.  Dave  heard  the 
words  and  grew  red,  too,  and  commenced  a  lively 
conversation  with  Phil  and  Roger,  about  nothing 
in  particular. 

The  train  on  the  side  line  was  a  big  contrast 
to  the  luxurious  coaches  they  had  just  left.  The 
cars  were  of  the  old-fashioned  variety  and  but 
two  in  number,  and  drawn  by  an  old  mountain 
engine  that  had  seen  better  days.  Moreover,  the 


94    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

roadbed  was  very  uneven,  and  the  cars  rocked  from 
side  to  side  as  they  rolled  between  the  hills  to- 
wards Bramley,  where  the  young  folks  were  to  get 
off.  The  cars  were  about  half  filled  with  miners 
and  cattlemen,  and  a  sprinkling  of  hunters  and 
sightseers,  and  the  boys  and  girls  overheard  a 
good  deal  of  talk  about  steers  and  horses,  mines 
and  new  discoveries,  and  about  the  outlook  for 
hunting  and  fishing. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Todd,  is  that  you !  "  cried  Laura, 
suddenly,  as  a  cowboy  was  passing  through  the  car 
where  she  sat. 

"  It  sure  is  me,  Miss  Porter,"  answered  the  cow- 
boy, coming  to  a  halt  with  a  broad  grin  on  his 
weatherbeaten  face.  "  Must  be  you  are  on  your 
way  to  the  ranch,"  he  added. 

"  We  are,"  answered  Laura.  "  I  am  glad  to 
see  you."  She  held  out  her  hand,  which  the  cow- 
boy took  very  gingerly,  removing  his  sombrero  at 
the  same  time.  "  This  is  my  friend,  Miss  Wads- 
worth,  and  this  is  my  brother,  Dave,  and  his  two 
school  friends,  Mr.  Morr  and  Mr.  Lawrence. 
This  is  Mr.  Sidney  Todd,  Mr.  Endicott's  head 
man,"  she  explained. 

"  Just  Sid  Todd,  miss,  that's  good  enough  for 
me,"  said  the  cowboy,  as  the  others  shook  hands 
with  him,  one  after  the  other.  "  I  ain't  used  to 
no  handle,  I  ain't.  The  boss  thought  you  might 
be  on  this  train,  but  he  wasn't  sure  when  I  left. 


OFF  FOR  THE  BOUNDLESS  WEST       95 

He  told  me  to  keep  an  eye  open  for  you,  though. 
I  hope  you  had  a  nice  trip." 

"  We  have  had  a  lovely  trip,  Mr. — Todd,"  said 
Jessie.  She  could  not  quite  bring  herself  to  drop 
the  mister. 

"  I've  heard  of  you,"  said  Dave  to  the  cowboy. 
"  My  sister  told  me  how  you  taught  her  to  ride 
and  do  a  lot  of  things.  I  hope  you'll  take  me  and 
my  chums  in  hand,  too,  when  we  get  settled  at 
Star  Ranch." 

"Ride,  don't  you?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  not  in  the  fashion  that  cowboys 
can,"  said  Dave,  and  then  he  invited  Sid  Todd  to 
sit  down  with  them,  which  the  cowboy  did.  He 
was  a  man  of  about  forty,  tall  and  leathery.  His 
eyes  were  bubbling  over  with  good  humor,  but 
they  could  become  very  stern  when  the  occasion 
demanded  it.  Laura  had  become  well  acquainted 
with  him  during  her  former  visit  to  the  ranch,  and 
knew  that  the  Endicotts  trusted  him  implicitly. 
While  he  had  taught  her  how  to  ride,  cowgirl 
fashion,  she  had  taken  a  number  of  snapshot 
photographs  for  him,  to  be  sent  to  some  relative 
in  the  South,  and  for  these  he  had  been  very  grate- 
ful. 

"  We  want  to  do  a  lot  of  riding,  and  a  lot  of 
hunting  and  fishing,  too,"  said  the  senator's  son. 
"  Do  you  think  we'll  have  a  chance  for  much 
sport?" 


96    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  I  dunno,"  answered  Sid  Todd,  dryly.  "  Might 
be  the  game  will  hear  of  your  coming  and  move 
on  to  the  next  State,"  and  his  eyes  twinkled  over 
his  little  joke. 

"  I'd  like  to  see  some  kind  of  a  round-up,"  said 
Phil.  "Will  there  be  one  while  we  are  here?" 

"  Might  be,  Mr. — I  didn't  quite  catch  your 
handle." 

"  Phil  Lawrence.     Just  call  me  Phil." 

"  I  will  if  you'll  call  me  Todd,  or  Sid.  I  can't 
git  used  to  this  mister  business  nohow.  Besides, 
the  boys  would  have  the  laugh  on  me,  if  they 
heard  you  a-mistering  me  all  the  time." 

"  All  right,  Sid  it  is,"  said  Dave.  "  And  I'm 
Dave." 

"  And  I  am  Roger,"  added  the  senator's  son. 

"  About  that  round-up,"  continued  the  cowboy. 
"  Might  see  something  of  the  sort,  for  Mr.  Endi- 
cott  is  goin'  to  sell  some  cattle  the  end  of  the 
month,  and  they'll  be  driven  off  to  another  range. 
But  you'll  see  enough  of  cattle  anyway,  before 
you  go  home,  if  you  are  going  to  stay  a  month 
or  six  weeks." 

"  Any  fishing?  "  queried  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  Yes,  plenty  of  fishing,  back  in  the  mountains. 
One  place  there  you  can  catch  a  barrel  or  two  of 
fish  in  ten  minutes — if  you've  got  lines  enough," 
and  once  more  Sid  Todd  chuckled  at  his  joke. 

It  was  a  three  hours'  run  to  Bramley,  for  the 


OFF  FOR  THE  BOUNDLESS  WEST       9? 

train  stopped  at  many  little  stations  and  at  some 
crossings  where  there  were  no  stations  at  all.  At 
one  point  they  came  to  a  halt  where  there  was  a 
large  corral,  and  the  boys  and  girls  watched  the 
efforts  of  several  cowboys  to  lasso  a  bronco  that 
was  untrained.  The  bronco  eluded  the  rope  with 
apparent  ease. 

"  Some  of  'em  are  mighty  tricky,"  explained 
Sid  Todd.  "  I  remember  two  years  ago,  we  had 
one  bronco  nobody  at  the  Star  could  touch.  I 
reckon  he  was  sure  mad,  for  finally  he  bit  Hank 
Snogger,  and  Hank  had  to  treat  him  to  a  dose 
of  lead." 

"  Is  Hank  Snogger  still  with  Mr.  Endicott?  " 
questioned  Laura. 

"  No,  he  ain't,"  answered  Sid  Todd,  shortly. 
"  He  left  two  months  ago.  A  good  job  done, 
too,"  added  the  cowboy. 

"  Who  was  this  Hank  Snogger?  "  asked  Dave, 
in  a  low  voice  of  his  sister,  for  he  saw  that  the 
subject  was  distasteful  to  Todd. 

"  He  was  one  of  the  cowboys  working  for 
Mr.  Endicott,"  answered  Laura.  "  He  was  rather 
a  queer  kind  of  a  man." 

"  Bramley's  just  ahead,"  announced  Sid  Todd, 
presently.  "  Maybe  you  can  catch  sight  of  some- 
body you  know,"  he  added  to  Laura,  as  the  train 
rounded  the  curve  of  a  small  hill. 

"  I  see  a  young  lady  on  horseback,  and  a  man !  n 


98    DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

cried  Dave's  sister  a  few  minutes  later.  "  It's 
Belle,  and  her  father!  They  came  to  meet  us! 
Oh,  I  must  signal  to  them !  "  And  she  waved  her 
handkerchief  from  the  car  window.  Soon  Belle 
Endicott  saw  it,  and  waved  her  big  straw  hat  in 
return. 

"  Welcome  to  the  West!  "  she  cried,  merrily,  as 
she  dashed  up  on  her  pony  beside  the  railroad 
tracks.  "  Oh,  I  was  so  afraid  you  wouldn't 
come!" 

"  And  I  was  so  afraid  you'd  miss  our  telegram 
and  wouldn't  meet  us,"  returned  Laura. 

As  soon  as  the  train  came  to  a  stop  the  boys 
hopped  down  and  assisted  the  girls  to  alight.  Sid 
Todd  followed,  with  the  hand  baggage,  and  the 
whole  party  gathered  in  a  group,  while  Mr.  Endi- 
cott and  Belle  dismounted  to  greet  them. 

"  Very  glad  to  know  you,"  said  the  railroad 
president,  with  a  genial  smile  overspreading  his 
features.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  knew  Morr  already.  I 
have  met  his  father  and  mother  several  times  in 
Washington." 

"  Yes,  so  dad  wrote,"  answered  the  senator's 
son. 

"  And  I  feel  as  if  I  knew  you,  and  Miss  Belle," 
said  Dave.  "  I've  heard  so  much  about  you  from 
Laura." 

"  And  we've  heard  so  much  about  you !  "  cried 
Belle.  "  Oh,  wasn't  it  simply  wonderful  how  you 


OFF  FOR  THE  BOUNDLESS  WEST       99 

found  your  folks !  Why,  it's  almost  like  a  page 
out  of  a  fairy  book!  " 

"  Not  quite,"  put  in  Phil.  "  Fairy  stories  aren't 
true,  while  this  really  happened." 

"  Some  day  Dave  has  got  to  tell  me  the  whole 
story  from  beginning  to  end,"  said  Belle.  "  You 
see,  I'm  going  to  call  you  Dave,  and  you  must  call 
me  Belle." 

"  Well,  we  can't  stop  for  stories  just  now,"  said 
Mr.  Endicott.  "  It's  a  long  ride  to  the  ranch,  and 
they'll  be  more  than  hungry  by  the  time  we  get 
there.  Todd,  bring  up  the  horses,  and  tell  Jerry 
to  dump  all  the  baggage  in  the  wagon.  Do  you 
all  want  to  ride  horseback,  or  does  somebody  pre- 
fer a  seat  in  the  wagon?  " 

"  Oh,  let  us  ride  horseback,  if  you  have  animals 
enough !  "  cried  Laura.  "  You're  willing,  aren't 
you,  Jessie?  " 

11 1 — I  guess  so,"  said  Jessie,  rather  timidly. 
"  That  is,  if  you  don't  ride  too  fast." 

"  We'll  take  it  easy,"  said  Belle.  "  And  if  you 
get  tired  you  can  wait  for  the  wagon." 

A  number  of  sturdy-looking  animals  were 
brought  up,  and  the  entire  party  proceeded  to 
mount,  the  boys  assisting  Laura  and  Jessie.  In 
the  meantime  Sid  Todd  went  off,  to  return  with 
a  ranch  wagon,  driven  by  an  old  man  smoking 
a  corncob  pipe. 

"  Hello,  Uncle  Jerry!  "  cried  Laura,  pleasantly, 


ioo   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

and  the  others  soon  learned  that  the  old  man  was 
known  by  that  name  and  no  other.  He  had  been 
attached  to  the  ranch  when  Mr.  Endicott  pur- 
chased the  place,  and  knew  no  other  home.  He 
and  Todd  placed  the  baggage  in  the  wagon,  and 
then  the  cowboy  swung  himself  into  the  saddle  of 
his  own  steed,  that  had  been  brought  to  the  station 
for  him. 

Just  as  the  party  was  about  to  leave,  a  tall,  thin, 
and  well-dressed  man  dashed  up,  riding  a  coal- 
black  steed.  As  he  came  closer  Laura  gave  a  start 
and  motioned  for  Dave  to  come  closer. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  asked  Dave,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  That  is  Mr.  Merwell,"  answered  his  sister. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH 

MR.  FELIX  MERWELL  bowed  stiffly  to  Mr. 
Endicott,  and,  on  seeing  Laura,  raised  his  hat 
slightly.  Both  of  the  others  bowed  in  return. 
Then  the  eyes  of  the  newcomer  swept  the  vicinity 
of  the  little  railroad  station. 

"  See  anything  of  my  son,  Link?"  he  asked,  of 
Sid  Todd. 

"  No,  sir,"  was  the  short  reply.  It  was  quite 
evident  that  the  cowboy  and  the  ranch  owner  were 
not  on  very  friendly  terms. 

"  Humph!  I  thought  sure  he'd  be  on  this 
train,"  muttered  Mr.  Merwell,  to  no  one  in  par- 
ticular. He  looked  at  the  boys.  "  You  came  in 
on  the  train  that  just  left,  I  suppose,"  he  said. 

"  We  did,"  answered  Dave. 

"  See  anything  of  a  boy  about  your  own  age  in 
Helena,  at  the  depot?  He  was  coming  on  the 
eastern  train." 

"  Your  son  wasn't  on  the  train,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Ah!  you  know  him?  " 

"  Yes." 

101 


102   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Who  are  you,  may  I  ask?  I  do  not  remember 
seeing  you  before/' 

"  I  am  Dave  Porter.  Link  and  I  went  to  Oak 
Hall  together." 

"Ah,  I  see!"  Mr.  Merwell  drew  a  long 
breath  and  nodded  his  head  knowingly.  "  Dave 
Porter,  you  said.  And  who  are  these  young 
men?" 

"  My  school  chums,  Roger  Morr  and  Phil  Law- 


rence." 


"  Indeed !  Then  you  are  the  young  men  who 
caused  my  son  so  much  trouble — caused  him  to 
be  sent  away,  in  fact,"  continued  Mr.  Merwell,  and 
he  glared  hatefully  at  the  three  lads. 

"  It  was  Link's  own  fault  that  he  was  sent 
away,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  If  he 
had  behaved  himself  he  would  have  had  no 
trouble." 

"  Oh,  of  course,  it  is  natural  that  you  should 
shield  yourselves.  But  I  know  my  son,  and  I 
know  he  is  not  the  person  he  has  been  made  out  to 
be  by  Doctor  Clay  and  others.  It  was  an  outrage 
to  allow  the  other  boys  at  the  school  to  get  him 
into  trouble  as  they  did,  and  I  have  written  to 
Doctor  Clay  to  that  effect." 

"  Your  son  was  entirely  to  blame,"  said  Phil, 
bound  to  stand  up  for  himself. 

"  He  can  be  thankful  that  he  was  let  off  so 
easily,"  added  Dave.  "  If  it  hadn't  been  for  the 


THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH        103 

honor  of  Oak  Hall,  there  might  have  been  a 
public  exposure." 

"  Bah !  nonsense !  But  it  is  useless  to  continue 
this  discussion  here,  in  the  presence  of  these  young 
ladies.  Perhaps  I'll  see  you  again  about  the  mat- 
ter— after  I  have  interviewed  my  son  personally." 

"  Mr.  Merwell,  these  young  gentleman  are  my 
guests,"  put  in  Mr.  Endicott,  bluntly.  "  While 
they  are  stopping  at  my  ranch  I  trust  they  will 
not  be  annoyed  by  any  one." 

"  Mr.  Endicott,  I  shall  respect  your  wishes  so 
far  as  I  can,"  returned  Felix  Merwell,  with  great 
stiffness.  "  But  if  these  young  men  have  done 
my  son  an  injustice,  they  will  have  to  suffer  for  it. 
I  bid  you  good-day."  And  having  thus  delivered 
himself,  the  man  wheeled  around  his  coal-black 
steed  and  was  off  in  a  cloud  of  dust  down  the  road. 

"Oh,  Dave,  what  do  you  think  he'll  do?" 
asked  Jessie,  in  alarm. 

"I  don't  know,"  was  Dave's  reply.  "Of 
course,  he  is  bound  to  stick  up  for  Link." 

"  I  never  liked  him  very  much,  and  now  I 
despise  him,"  said  Laura. 

"  One  can  readily  see  where  Link  gets  his  temper 
from,"  was  Phil's  comment.  "  He  is  nothing  but 
a  chip  of  the  old  block." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  Mr.  Merwell  is  my  neighbor," 
came  from  Mr.  Endicott.  "  But  it  can't  be  helped, 
so  we'll  have  to  make  the  best  of  it.  My  advice 


104   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

is,  while  you  are  out  here,  keep  off  his  lands,  and 
if  he  annoys  you  in  any  way,  let  me  know." 

"  We'll  have  to  learn  what  his  lands  are,"  said 
the  senator's  son. 

"  Todd  and  the  others  can  readily  tell  you  about 
that,  and  about  Merwell's  cattle,  too.  But  come, 
we  have  wasted  too  much  time  already.  You'll  all 
be  wanting  supper  long  before  we  reach  the 
ranch." 

Old  Jerry  had  gone  ahead  with  the  wagon,  and 
now  the  others  followed  along  the  road  taken  by 
the  turnout  and  by  Mr.  Merwell.  It  was  a  wind- 
ing trail,  leading  up  and  down  over  the  hills  and 
through  a  dense  patch  of  timber.  Two  miles 
from  the  station  they  had  to  cross  a  fair-sized 
stream  by  way  of  a  bridge  that  was  far  from  firm. 

"  We've  got  to  have  a  new  bridge  here  some 
day,"  said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  I  am  willing  to  bear 
my  share  of  the  expense,  but  Merwell  won't  put 
up  a  cent.  He  doesn't  go  in  for  improvements." 

"  He  seems  to  like  good  horseflesh,"  remarked 
Phil. 

"  That  was  one  of  his  best  mounts.  His  horses 
aren't  half  as  good  as  those  we  have;  eh,  Todd?  " 

"  No  better  bosses  in  these  parts  than  those  at 
the  Star,"  answered  the  cowboy. 

"  I  have  been  giving  our  horses  my  especial 
care  for  three  years,"  explained  the  railroad  pres- 
ident. "  It  has  become  a  hobby  with  me,  and  some 


THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH       105 

day  I  may  turn  the  ranch  into  something  of  a 
stock  farm  for  raising  certain  breeds  of  horses 
and  ponies.  While  you  are  here  you'll  not  suffer 
for  the  want  of  a  mount." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  you  break  in  some  of  the 
horses,"  said  Roger. 

"Well,  you'll  have  the  chance." 

"  Maybe  you'd  like  to  break  in  a  bronco  your- 
self," suggested  Belle,  with  a  twinkle  in  her  eye. 

"  And  get  sent  skyhigh  1  "  returned  the  senator's 
son.  "  No,  thank  you,  not  until  I've  learned  the 
business." 

"  A  bronco  is  all  right  if  you  understand  him," 
remarked  Sid  Todd.  "  But  if  you  don't,  you'd 
better  monkey  with  the  business  end  of  a  gun, — 
it's  just  as  healthy." 

The  woods  left  behind,  they  commenced  to 
ascend  a  long  hill.  Far  off  to  the  westward  loomed 
the  mountains,  covered  with  pines  and  bordered 
below  with  cottonwoods. 

"  There  is  where  you'll  get  your  hunting  when 
you  want  it,"  said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  How  is  it, 
can  you  shoot?  " 

"  We  can,"  answered  Phil,  and  then  told  of 
some  of  their  experiences  in  the  South  Sea  islands. 
Then  Roger  told  of  the  adventures  which  Dave 
and  he  had  in  Norway,  and  Dave  ended  by 
telling  of  the  target  practice  with  the  swinging 
board. 


106   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  right  now  a  big  bear  out 
in  them  mountains  ain't  no  swingin'  board,"  said 
Sid  Todd.  "  He's  a  whole  lumber  yard,  when  he's 
cornered."  And  at  this  remark  there  was  a  general 
laugh. 

It  was  getting  dark  when  they  came  in  sight 
of  Star  Ranch.  They  made  out  a  long,  low  build- 
ing on  the  southern  slope  of  a  small  hill.  It  was 
built  in  modern  bungalow  fashion,  having  been 
erected  by  Mr.  Endicott  after  the  original  log 
dwelling  had  been  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  di- 
vided into  a  sitting-room  fifteen  feet  by  twenty- 
five,  an  office,  a  good-sized  dining-hall,  a  kitchen, 
and  eight  bedrooms,  and  a  bath.  Water  was 
pumped  from  a  brook  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
and  the  rooms  were  lighted  by  a  new  system 
of  gasoline  gas.  The  ranch  home  was  comfortably 
furnished,  and  in  the  sitting-room  were  a  bookcase 
filled  with  good  reading,  and  a  new  player  piano, 
with  a  combination  cabinet  of  sheet  music  and 
music  rolls. 

"  I  play  by  hand,"  said  Belle,  when  the  boys 
noticed  the  player  piano,  "  but  papa  plays  with  his 
feet." 

"  That's  the  kind  of  playing  I  do,  too,1'  an- 
swered Phil,  with  a  grin. 

"But  you  sing,  don't  you?"  asked  the  young 
hostess  of  the  ranch. 

"Oh,  yes,  we  all  sing." 


THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH       107 

"  Belle  is  a  beautiful  player,"  said  Laura. 
"  Wait  till  you  hear  her  play  some  operatic  selec- 
tions." 

Supper  was  in  readiness,  having  been  ordered 
in  advance  by  Mrs.  Endicott,  a  sweet  woman  who 
looked  like  Laura,  and  as  soon  as  the  girls  and 
boys  had  had  a  chance  to  brush  up  and  wash,  all 
sat  down  to  partake  of  the  good  things  provided. 
Jessie  was  much  astonished  by  the  things  spread 
before  her. 

"  Why,  I  thought  we  were  going  to  live  in 
regular  camping  style !  "  she  declared.  "  This  is 
as  good  as  what  we  had  at  the  hotel  in  Chicago, 
if  not  better." 

"The  Wild  West  of  to-day  is  not  the  Wild 
West  of  years  ago,"  explained  Mrs.  Endicott. 
"  People  from  the  East  have  a  wrong  impression 
of  many  things.  Of  course  some  things  are  still 
crude,  but  others  are  as  up-to-date  as  any  one  could 
wish." 

"  What  I  like  best  of  all  is  the  general  open- 
heartedness  of  the  people  you  meet,"  declared 
Dave.  '  They  are  not  quite  so  frozen-up  as  in 
some  places  in  the  East." 

"  That  is  true,  and  it  is  readily  explained," 
answered  the  ranch  owner.  "  In  the  pioneer  days 
everybody  had  to  depend  upon  everybody  else, 
and  consequently  all  were  more  or  less  sociable. 
The  feeling  has  not  yet  worn  off.  But  I  am 


io8   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

afraid  it  will  wear  off,  as  we  become  more  and 
more  what  is  called  civilized/'  added  Mr.  Endi- 
cott,  with  something  of  a  sigh. 

Everybody  was  hungry,  and  all  did  full  justice 
to  the  repast.  As  they  ate,  the  boys  and  girls 
asked  many  questions  concerning  the  ranch  and 
the  neighborhood  generally,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Endicott  and  Belle  were  kept  busy  answering  first 
one  and  then  another.  The  railroad  president 
told  how  he  had  come  to  purchase  the  place — 
doing  it  for  the  sake  of  his  health — and  mentioned 
the  many  improvements  he  had  made. 

"  We  used  to  simply  corral  the  horses  and 
cattle, "  said  he.  "  But  now  I  have  a  fine  stable 
for  the  horses,  and  numerous  sheds  for  the 
cattle.  We  have  also  big  barns  for  hay  and 
grain,  and  a  hen-house  with  a  run  fifty  feet  by 
two  hundred.'' 

"  The  chickens  are  my  pets,"  said  Belle.  "  I 
have  some  of  the  cutest  bantams  you  ever  saw." 

"  I'll  help  you  feed  them,"  said  Jessie.  At 
Crumville  she  had  always  taken  an  interest  in  the 
chickens. 

The  trunks  and  dress-suit  cases  had  been  brought 
in  by  old  Jerry  and  one  of  the  Chinese  servants, 
and  placed  in  the  proper  rooms,  and  after  supper 
the  boys  and  girls  spent  an  hour  in  getting  settled. 
Laura  and  Jessie  had  a  nice  room  that  connected 
with  one  occupied  by  Belle,  and  Dave,  Phil,  and 


THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH       109 

Roger  were  assigned  to  two  rooms  directly  oppo- 
site. 

"  You  boys  can  divide  up  the  rooms  to  suit  your- 
selves," said  Mrs.  Endicott. 

"  Thank  you,  we  will,"  they  answered,  and  later 
arranged  that  Dave  was  to  have  one  apartment 
and  Roger  the  other,  and  Phil  was  to  sleep  one 
week  with  one  chum  and  the  next  with  the 
other. 

u  Say,  but  this  suits  me  down  to  the  ground!  " 
cried  the  senator's  son,  after  the  boys  had  said 
good-night  to  the  others.  "  It's  a  complete  sur- 
prise. Like  Jessie,  I  had  an  idea  we'd  have  to 
rough  it." 

"  I  knew  about  what  to  expect,  for  Laura  told 
me,"  answered  Dave,  with  a  smile.  "  I  didn't 
say  too  much  because  I  wanted  you  to  be  surprised. 
But  it's  better  even  than  I  anticipated.  If  we  don't 
have  the  outing  of  our  lives  here,  it  will  be  our 
own  fault." 

"  The  Endicotts  are  certainly  fine  folks,"  said 
the  shipowner's  son,  as  he  sat  on  the  edge  of  a 
bed  to  unlace  his  shoes.  "  And  Belle  is — well,  as 
nice  as  they  make  'em." 

"Hello,  Phil  must  be  smitten!"  cried  Roger. 
"  Well,  I  don't  blame  you,  old  man." 

"  Who  said  I  was  smitten?  "  returned  Phil,  his 
face  growing  red.  "  I  said  she  was  a  dandy  girl, 
that's  all." 


no   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  And  she  is,"  said  Dave.  "  I  don't  wonder 
Laura  likes  her." 

u  We  ought  to  be  able  to  make  up  some  fine 
parties,"  continued  Phil,  as  he  dropped  a  shoe  on 
the  floor.  "  Dave  can  take  out  Jessie,  and  you 
can  take  out  Laura,  and  I'll " 

"  Take  out  Miss  Belle,"  finished  the  senator's 
son.  He  caught  Phil  by  the  foot.  "  Say,  you're 
smitten  all  right.  Come  on,  Dave,  let  us  wake 
him  out  of  his  dream !  "  And  he  commenced  to 
pull  on  the  foot. 

"  Hi !  you  let  up !  "  cried  the  shipowner's  son, 
clutching  at  the  bed  to  keep  himself  from  fall- 
ing to  the  floor.  "  I  haven't  said  half  as  much 
about  Belle  as  you've  said  about  Laura,  so 
there!" 

u  Never  said  anything  about  Laura !  "  answered 
Roger,  but  he,  too,  turned  red.  Dave  commenced 
to  laugh  heartily,  and  Phil  wrenched  himself  free 
and  stood  up. 

"  What's  sauce  for  the  goose  is  sauce  for  the 
gander,"  cried  Dave.  "  Better  both  quit  your 
knocking  and  go  to  bed.  I  suppose  the  girls  are 
tired  out  and  want  to  go  to  sleep." 

"  Sounds  like  it,  doesn't  it,"  murmured  Roger, 
as  a  shriek  of  laughter  came  from  across  the  hall- 
way. 

"  Maybe  they  are  knocking  each  other  the  same 
way,"  suggested  Phil. 


THE  ARRIVAL  AT  STAR  RANCH       in 

"  Never!"  cried  Dave.  "Girls  aren't  built 
that  way." 

But  Dave  was  mistaken. 

A  little  later  quietness  reigned,  and  one  after 
another  the  newcomers  to  Star  Ranch  dropped 
asleep. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK 

"  WHAT  a  beautiful  spot !  " 

It  was  Dave  who  uttered  the  words,  as  he  stood 
out  in  front  of  the  ranch  house  on  the  following 
morning.  He  had  gotten  up  early,  and  Laura 
and  Belle  had  joined  him,  leaving  the  others  still 
dt  rest. 

Dave  spoke  with  feeling,  for  the  grand  and 
sublime  things  in  Nature  had  always  appealed  to 
him.  He  was  gazing  toward  the  east,  where  the 
rising  sun  was  flooding  the  plains  with  a  golden 
hue.  Beyond  the  cottonwoods  he  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  winding  river.  Then,  when  he  turned,  he 
saw  the  foothills  and  the  mountains  in  the  west, 
with  their  great  bowlders  and  cliffs  and  their  sturdy 
growths  of  pine. 

"Aren't  you  glad  you  came,  Dave?"  said  his 
sister,  as  she  placed  an  affectionate  hand  on  his 
shoulder. 

"  Indeed  I  am,  Laura,"  he  replied.  "  Why,  it 
looks  to  me  as  if  I  was  going  to  have  the  outing 
of  my  life!  In  fact,  all  of  us  ought  to  have  the 
best  time  everl  " 

us 


A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK  113 

"  Does  it  put  you  in  mind  of  your  trip  to 
Norway?  "  questioned  Belle. 

"  Hardly.  That  was  taken  during  cold  weather, 
and  everything  was  covered  with  snow  and  ice. 
Besides,  the  scenery  was  quite  different."  Dave 
paused  to  sweep  the  horizon.  "  In  what  direction 
is  the  Merwell  ranch  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Over  yonder,"  answered  Belle,  pointing  up 
the  river.  "  The  little  brook  flowing  down  be- 
tween those  rough  rocks  marks  the  boundary 
line." 

"  And  whose  cattle  are  those  on  yonder  hills?  " 

"  I  am  not  sure,  but  I  think  they  belong  to  papa. 
When  you  ask  about  cattle  you  must  go  to  Sid 
Todd.  He  knows  every  animal  for  miles  around." 

"  I  suppose  your  cattle  are  all  branded?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  with  a  star  and  the  letter  E  on  either 
side  of  it.  That's  why  this  is  called  Star  Ranch." 

"What  is  the  Merwell  brand?"  asked  Laura. 

"  A  triple  cross." 

Breakfast  was  soon  announced,  and  all  the  girls 
and  boys  assembled  in  the  dining-hall.  While  they 
ate  the  meal,  Mr.  Endicott  told  the  newcomers 
much  about  his  ranch,  and  also  about  the  people 
working  for  him. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  you  have  had  trouble 
with  Mr.  Merwell's  son,"  said  the  railroad  presi- 
dent. "  I  am  afraid  it  will  make  matters  worse 
out  here — and  they  are  bad  enough  as  it  is." 


ii4   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  But  I  am  sure  Dave  and  his  chums  are  not 
to  blame,  Mr.  Endicott,"  said  Laura,  hastily. 

"  Oh,  I  am  sure  of  that  myself — for  I  know 
something  of  Link  Merwell  and  his  headstrong 
temper, — a  temper  he  gets  largely  from  his  father. 
If  it  were  not  for  that  temper,  I  think  Mr.  Merwell 
and  myself  might  be  on  better  terms." 

"  We  have  had  trouble  over  one  of  the  hired 
men,  Hank  Snogger,"  explained  Belle.  "  Snogger 
used  to  work  for  us,  but  Mr.  Merwell  hired  him 
away." 

1  That  wasn't  a  very  nice  thing  to  do,"  was 
Roger's  comment. 

"  If  it  had  been  done  openly  it  would  not  have 
been  so  bad,"  said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  But  it  was 
done  secretly,  and  Snogger  was  gone  almost  before 
I  knew  it.  He  was  a  valuable  man  and  I  felt  his 
loss  keenly." 

"  I  suppose  Mr.  Merwell  offered  him  more 
wages,"  said  Phil. 

"  Probably,  although  I  paid  Snogger  a  good 
salary.  I  don't  know  what  game  Merwell  played 
to  get  the  fellow,  but  he  got  him." 

"  It's  exactly  like  some  of  Link's  underhanded 
work  at  Oak  Hall,"  was  Roger's  comment. 
"  Father  and  son  must  be  very  much  alike." 

"  While  you  are  here  I  would  advise  you  to  steer 
clear  of  the  Merwells,"  was  Mr.  Endicott's  ad- 
vice. "  I'd  not  even  go  on  their  land  if  you  can 


A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK  115 

help  it.     There  are  plenty  of  other  places  to  go 


to." 


"  I'll  not  go  near  his  ranch,  if  I  know  it,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

"  It  is  queer  that  Link  did  not  come  on  the 
train  with  you,  if  his  father  was  expecting  him." 

"  Oh,  most  likely  he  stopped  off  somewhere  to 
have  a  good  time,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 
"  A  fellow  like  Link  would  be  apt  to  find  life 
slow  on  a  ranch." 

After  breakfast  Mr.  Endicott  and  Belle  took 
the  boys  and  girls  around  the  ranch  buildings, 
which  were  quite  numerous.  The  girls  were  in- 
terested in  some  fancy  chickens  and  pigeons  Belle 
owned,  and  the  boys  grew  enthusiastic  over  the 
horses. 

"  I  never  saw  better  animals!  "  cried  Dave,  his 
eyes  resting  on  a  black  horse  that  was  truly  a 
beauty.  "What's  his  name?  "  he  asked. 

"  Hero,"  answered  Mr.  Endicott.  "  He  can  go, 
let  me  tell  you.  You  can  try  him  this  afternoon, 
if  you  wish." 

"  Thank  you,  perhaps  I  will." 

"  And  if  you  like  him,  you  can  use  Hero  during 
your  stay  here,"  went  on  the  railroad  president, 
and  then  he  pointed  out  various  horses  that  the 
others  might  use. 

"  No  busting  broncos  here,  I  suppose,"  said 
Phil,  with  a  grin. 


n6   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  No.  If  you  want  to  try  a  bronco,  you'll  have 
to  see  Todd.  But  I  advise  you  to  be  careful. 
Some  day  I'll  have  Todd  give  you  an  exhibition 
of  bronco  busting,  as  it  is  called." 

During  their  tour  of  the  place  they  met  several 
cowboys  and  other  helpers,  and  soon  became  well 
acquainted.  In  the  past,  visitors  to  Star  Ranch 
had  been  numerous,  consequently  the  most  of  the 
men  were  not  as  shy  as  they  might  otherwise  have 
been.  They  gladly  answered  all  the  questions  the 
boys  and  girls  put  to  them,  and  offered  to  do  all 
sorts  of  things  to  render  the  visit  of  the  newcomers 
pleasant. 

After  lunch  the  girls  felt  like  resting,  for  it 
was  rather  warm,  but  all  the  boys  were  anxious 
to  get  into  the  saddle.  They  had  heard  that  Sid 
Todd  was  going  to  a  distant  part  of  the  range,  to 
see  about  two  steers  that  had  fallen  into  a  ravine, 
and  asked  to  be  taken  along. 

"  All  right,  my  boys,"  said  the  cowboy.  "  Come 
ahead.  But  you'll  have  to  do  quite  a  bit 
of  riding  to  get  there  and  back  by  night- 
fall." 

"  Well,  we  may  as  well  get  used  to  it,"  answered 
Phil.  "  I  expect  to  about  live  in  the  saddle  while 
I  am  here." 

Todd  had  several  things  to  attend  to  before 
starting,  so  they  did  not  leave  the  stables  until 
nearly  three  o'clock.  Dave  was  mounted  on  the 


A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK  117 

steed  he  had  so  admired,  and  the  others  had 
equally  good  horses. 

"  Shall  we  take  our  guns?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  What  for?  "  asked  the  cowboy. 

"  Oh,  I  thought  we  might  get  the  chance  to  shoot 
something." 

"  We'll  not  have  much  time  to  look  for  game," 
answered  Sid  Todd.  "  However,  if  you  want  to 
take  your  shootin'  irons,  there  ain't  no  objections." 
So  each  of  the  lads  provided  himself  with  a  shot- 
gun. Todd  carried  a  pistol,  of  the  "  hoss  "  vari- 
ety and  nearly  two  feet  long,  the  same  being  de- 
posited in  tht  holster  of  his  saddle. 

The  course  was  to  the  westward,  to  the  foothills 
of  the  distant  mountains.  Here,  the  cowboy  ex- 
plained, was  a  treacherous  ravine,  the  sides  over- 
grown with  a  tangle  of  low  bushes.  The  cattle 
loved  to  get  in  the  bushes,  finding  something  there 
particularly  appetizing  to  eat,  and  often  the  rocks 
and  dirt  would  give  way  and  a  steer  would  go 
down  in  the  hollow  and  be  unable  to  get  out. 

'  They  don't  seem  to  know  how  to  climb  the 
rocks,"  said  Sid  Todd.  "  And  you've  got  to  fairly 
drive  'em  the  right  way,  or  they'd  stay  in  the  hol- 
low till  they  died." 

Dave  felt  like  "  letting  himself  loose,"  as  he 
expressed  it,  and  with  a  level  stretch  of  several 
miles  before  them,  he  called  on  Phil  and  Roger 
for  a  race. 


n8   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Done !  "  cried  the  shipowner's  son.  "  But  I 
know  you'll  beat,"  he  added.  "  YouVe  had  more 
practice  on  horseback  than  I  have  had." 

"  Take  care  and  keep  to  the  trail !  "  sung  out 
Sid  Todd.  He  had  no  desire  to  join  in  the  sport, 
for  horseback  riding  was  no  novelty  to  him. 

Over  the  soft  ground  thundered  the  three  horses, 
the  boys  at  the  start  keeping  in  a  bunch.  But 
gradually  they  spread  out  and  then  Roger  forged 
ahead. 

"  Here  is  where  I  win !  "  sang  out  the  senator's 
son. 

"  Not  much!  "  answered  Phil.  "  Just  wait  till 
my  horse  gets  his  muscles  limbered  up  a  bit!  " 
And  then  he  urged  his  animal  to  a  better  gait,  and 
slowly  but  surely  crawled  up  closer  to  Roger. 

Dave  said  but  little,  for  he  was  paying  all  his 
attention  to  Hero.  He  had  studied  horses  from 
childhood,  and  he  thought  he  saw  in  the  steed 
he  rode  better  staying  qualities  than  in  either  of 
the  other  animals.  He  kept  on  directly  behind 
his  chums,  but  made  no  effort  for  the  first  half 
mile  to  pass  them. 

"How  far  do  we  race?"  cried  the  senator's 
son,  presently. 

"  To  the  patch  of  woods,"  answered  Dave, 
indicating  a  growth  about  a  mile  distant. 

"  All  right — and — good-by  to  you !  "  returned 
Roger,  merrily. 


A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK  119 

"Dave,  you  aren't  in  it  a  little  bit!"  added 
Phil.  And  he  sped  after  the  senator's  son,  leaving 
Dave  a  full  fifty  yards  in  the  rear. 

Dave  saw  that  Hero  was  gradually  warming  up 
to  his  task.  He  clucked  softly,  and  the  little  black 
horse  pricked  up  his  ears  and  increased  his  gait. 
Then  Dave  clucked  again — he  had  heard  Todd  do 
this — and  Hero  went  a  little  faster. 

On  went  the  three  boys,  the  fresh  air  of  the 
plains  and  the  mountains  filling  their  lungs  and 
causing  their  eyes  to  snap  with  pure  delight.  At 
that  moment  each  of  them  felt  as  if  he  hadn't 
a  care  in  the  world. 

Phil  and  Roger  were  now  neck-and-neck,  with 
not  quite  half  a  mile  of  the  race  still  to  cover. 
Sixty  yards  behind  was  Dave.  Still  further  to 
the  rear  was  Sid  Todd,  now  urging  his  horse 
forward,  that  he  might  see  the  finish  of  the 
contest. 

"  Now,  then,  my  little  beauty,  go!  "  cried  Dave 
to  his  horse,  and  he  clucked  several  times  to  Hero, 
and  dug  his  heels  into  the  steed's  ribs. 

He  had  not  miscalculated,  and  Hero  responded 
instantly.  Up  he  went  into  the  air,  and  when  he 
came  down  his  ears  were  laid  far  back,  and  forward 
he  shot  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow.  Dave  kept 
him  to  it,  and  gradually  he  ranged  up  between  the 
others. 

"  Hi,  get  back  there !  "  yelled  Roger,  who  was 


120   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

now  slightly  in  advance.  c  You  can  beat  Phil, 
but  you  can't  beat  me!  " 

"Not  much!  He's  not  going  to  beat  me!" 
put  in  the  shipowner's  son,  and  he  urged  his  horse 
to  do  better.  But  this  was  impossible,  and,  inch 
by  inch,  Dave  overtook  him,  and  went  to  the 
front. 

It  now  seemed  to  be  a  race  between  Hero  and 
the  brown  horse  that  the  senator's  son  rode. 
Roger's  mount  was  still  in  fine  condition,  but  it 
must  be  confessed  that  the  senator's  son  did  not 
know  exactly  how  to  race  him  to  the  best  advantage. 
He  sawed  a  little  on  the  reins,  thus  worrying  the 
animal,  and  causing  him  to  lose  his  gait.  Then, 
with  a  bound,  Dave  came  up,  and  the  pair  were 
neck-and-neck  for  the  finish. 

41  Go !  go !  "  yelled  Phil.  "  May  the  best  horse 
win !  " 

"  Whoopee !  "  came  unexpectedly  from  Sid 
Todd,  and,  grabbing  his  pistol  from  the  holster, 
he  sent  three  shots  into  the  air,  just  to  add  to  the 
excitement. 

As  the  pistol  went  off,  both  horses  gave  an  extra 
bound  forward.  The  two  young  riders  were  al- 
most unseated,  but  each  quickly  recovered.  Then 
they  bent  low  over  their  steeds'  necks  and  went 
forward  for  the  finish. 

It  was  a  thrilling  moment,  Dave  and  Roger  side 
by  side,  Phil  at  their  heels,  and  Sid  Todd  further 


A  RACE  ON  HORSEBACK  121 

back,  firing  another  shot  or  two,  "  just  for  fun," 
in  true  cowboy  fashion. 

But  Roger  had  urged  his  horse  to  the  limit  and 
could  do  no  better.  As  Dave  clucked  again,  Hero 
shot  ahead,  a  foot,  a  yard,  and  soon  several  yards. 
Then  Phil  came  up  abreast  of  the  senator's  son, 
and  thus  they  kept  until  the  edge  of  the  woods  was 
gained. 

"  Dave  wins!  "  cried  Sid  Todd.  "  An'  a  good 
race,  boys, — a  good  race  all  around." 

"Yes,  Dave  wins!"  answered  Phil.  "My, 
but  your  horse  did  go  it  at  the  finish !  "  he  added, 
admiringly. 

"  A  fine  animal,"  said  Roger.  "  But  mine  is 
fine,  too,  even  if  he  didn't  come  in  first,"  he  added, 
loyally. 

"  You  all  rode  well — better  nor  I  expected," 
was  Sid  Todd's  comment.  "  It  was  a  good  race. 
I  wish  the  others  on  the  ranch  had  seen  it, — they 
wouldn't  call  you  tenderfeet  no  more !  " 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   CRAZY  STEER 

IN  the  shade  of  the  woods  the  boys  rested  their 
steeds  for  a  few  minutes,  and  as  they  did  this  the 
cowboy  told  them  of  some  of  the  races  he  had 
seen  in  the  past  on  Star  Ranch. 

"  One  of  the  greatest  races  was  between  one  o' 
the  cowboys  and  an  Indian  named  Crowfoot  Joe," 
said  the  cowboy.  "  The  Indian  was  sure  he  was 
going  to  win,  but  he  lost  by  a  neck.  That  race 
took  place  two  years  ago,  but  the  boys  in  these 
parts  ain't  done  tellin'  about  it  yet.  We  had  a  full 
holiday  the  time  it  come  off." 

"  I  think  your  horse  is  just  as  good  as  mine," 
said  Dave  to  Roger.  "  But  I  fancy  you  pressed 
him  a  little  too  hard  at  the  start." 

"  He  is  just  as  good,  an'  so  is  the  hoss  Phil 
is  ridin',"  came  from  Sid  Todd.  tc  It  was  the 
ridin'  did  it.  Dave  managed  his  mount  just 
right."  And  this  open  praise  made  the  youth 
from  Crumville  blush. 

"  Just  wait  till  Jessie  hears  how  he  won,"  said 
the  shipowner's  son.  "  She'll  weave  a  laurel  crown 
for  his  brow  and " 


122 


THE  CRAZY  STEER  123 

"  Don't  you  say  a  word  about  it!  "  cried  Dave, 
and  blushed  more  than  ever.  "  I  didn't  win  by 
so  very  much,  anyway." 

Forward  the  party  went,  through  the  woods,  and 
then  in  the  direction  of  the  foothills  beyond.  The 
race  had  not  hurt  the  horses  in  the  least,  for  all 
of  them  were  tough  and  used  to  hard  usage.  They 
were  following  a  well-defined  trail,  but  presently 
branched  off  to  the  southward  and  commenced  to 
climb  the  first  of  the  hills. 

"  That  hollow  is  about  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
here,"  explained  the  cowboy.  "  Be  careful  now, 
or  your  horse  will  get  into  a  hole,  an'  maybe 
break  a  leg."  And  then  they  went  forward  with 
added  caution,  into  the  midst  of  a  growth  of  low 
bushes,  dotted  here  and  there  with  sagebrush. 

Presently  the  cowboy  uttered  a  long,  loud  whistle 
and  this  was  answered  by  somebody  near  the  edge 
of  the  ravine.  Then  another  ranch  hand  named 
Tom  Yates  showed  himself.  He  was  on  foot,  but 
his  horse  was  tethered  not  far  away. 

"Well,  where  are  they?"  asked  Todd,  of  the 
other  cowboy. 

"Where  are  they?"  growled  Tom  Yates. 
"  Where  they  always  are  when  they  go  over,  hang 
'em!  Say,  we're  going  to  have  a  .fierce  job  this 
time,"  he  added. 

"  Why?  "asked  Todd. 

"  Because  that  big  steer — the  spotted  one — went 


i24   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

over  with  two  of  the  others.  He  got  hurt  a  few 
days  ago  in  the  woods,  and  he's  as  ugly  as  sin 
because  of  it." 

"  Well,  we'll  have  to  drive  'em  up,  same  as 
we  did  before,"  answered  Sid  Todd,  briefly. 

"  I  don't  think  you'll  drive  that  steer,"  answered 
Tom  Yates.  "  Blinky  and  I  tried  it,  and  we 
couldn't  do  a  thing  with  him.  Blinky  wouldn't 
stay  here.  He  thinks  the  steer  is  crazy." 

"  Got  a  rope?" 

"  Sure,"  was  the  answer,  and  the  cowboy  who 
had  been  working  to  get  the  cattle  out  of  the 
ravine,  swung  a  strong  lasso  into  view.  "  But  you 
ain't  goin'  to  use  that  on  that  steer,"  he  continued. 
"  Leas'wise,  not  if  you  want  to  live  to  tell  it." 

"  We'll  see,"  answered  Sid  Todd,  briefly,  as  he 
dismounted  and  took  the  lasso. 

"  Can  we  help?."  asked  Dave. 

"  Sure  you  can,"  answered  the  cowboy  who  had 
accompanied  the  boys.  "  Just  you  keep  out  of  the 
way,  an'  that  will  be  all  the  help  we  need." 

"  But  perhaps  we  could  do  something," 
grumbled  Roger.  "  I  want  to  get  into  a  regular 
round-up  of  cattle  some  day." 

'  This  ain't  no  round-up,  my  boy.  If  you  go 
down  into  the  hollow  those  cattle  will  be  wuss 
frightened  nor  ever.  You  just  stay  up  here  and 
watch  things.  I'm  going  to  get  'em  out — or 
know  the  reason  why,"  finished  Sid  Todd,  and  he 


THE  CRAZY  STEER  125 

walked  away  with  Tom  Yates,  and  presently  the 
pair  were  joined  by  a  third  hand,  the  fellow  who 
had  said  he  thought  one  of  the  steers  was  crazy. 

With  nothing  else  to  do,  the  three  boys  dis- 
mounted, tethered  their  steeds,  and  walked  slowly 
and  cautiously  to  the  edge  of  the  ravine.  The 
ground  was  very  uneven,  and  treacherous  holes 
were  numerous. 

"  You  would  think  there  would  be  a  lot  of  game 
around  here,"  was  Dave's  comment.  "  But  so 
far  I  haven't  seen  a  thing." 

"  I  think  the  cattle  and  the  cowboys  have  scared 
the  animals  away,"  answered  Roger.  "  For  hunt- 
ing we'll  have  to  go  where  it  is  even  wilder  than 
this — Todd  said  so." 

"  My,  but  this  air  is  the  finest  ever!"  cried 
Phil.  "  I  declare,  it  makes  me  feel  young!  " 

"As  if  he  were  old!"  protested  the  senator's 
son.  "  But  the  air  is  great !  "  he  added. 

"  I  know  what  it  does  to  me,"  declared  Dave. 
"  Makes  me  mighty  hungry." 

"  Same  here,"  answered  the  shipowner's  son. 
"  I  think  I  could  eat  about  six  square  meals  a  day. 
When  we  go  out  hunting,  for  a  full  day  or  more, 
we  mustn't  forget  to  take  plenty  of  food  along." 

"  Oh,  we'll  eat  what  we  shoot,  Phil,"  said  Dave, 
with  a  wink  at  Roger.  "  They  always  do  that  out 
West,  you  know." 

"  Huh!     And  if  we  don't  shoot  we  can  starve, 


126   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

eh?  Not  much!  I'm  going  to  take  plenty  of 
good  things  along  when  I  go  out." 

"  I  wonder  if  we'll  see  much  of  Link  Merwell," 
said  Roger,  after  a  pause. 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  him,"  answered  Dave. 

"  But  he'll  see  you,  Dave.  Didn't  he  say  he'd 
square  accounts  out  here?  He'll  keep  his  word — 
when  it  comes  to  doing  anything  mean  and  dirty." 

11  Roger  is  right,"  said  Phil.  "  I  shouldn't  want 
to  alarm  the  girls,  or  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Endicott,  but 
I'd  surely  keep  my  eyes  open  for  Link  Merwell. 
He'll  try  some  kind  of  a  game — it's  his  nature." 

With  caution  the  boys  approached  the  edge  of 
the  ravine  and  looked  over.  They  saw  a  spot 
where  the  dirt,  rocks,  and  bushes  had  torn  loose  and 
slid  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  hollow,  carrying 
with  the  mass  three  of  Mr.  Endicott's  herd  of 
cattle.  Two  of  the  herd  had  been  driven  up  to 
safety  by  the  cowboys,  but  the  third — the  vicious 
steer — was  still  below,  unable  to  help  himself,  and 
showing  fight  whenever  approached  by  the  ranch 
hands. 

"  I  see  him !  "  announced  Phil,  pointing  with  his 
hand  to  some  rocks  below.  "  He  looks  peaceful 
enough." 

"  So  does  a  bomb — until  it  goes  off,"  answered 
Dave.  "  The  cowboys  wouldn't  be  afraid  of  him 
unless  he  was  a  bad  one.  Maybe  he  is  really 
crazy.  I've  heard  of  a  crazy  horse." 


THE  CRAZY  STEER  127 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story  Shadow 
Hamilton  told,"  came  from  the  senator's  son. 
"  A  boy  in  school  was  a  regular  blockhead,  and 
one  day  the  teacher  asked  him  what  made  him  so 
foolish.  *  I  dunno,'  he  answered,  4  excepting  that 
my  mother  makes  me  sleep  under  a  crazy  quilt.1  ' 

"  Say,  that's  like  Shadow !  "  cried  Phil,  after  a 
laugh  all  around.  "  Wish  he  was  here — what 
stories  he  would  tell !  " 

For  some  little  time  the  boys  could  not  see  the 
men,  who  were  hidden  by  the  rocks  and  brush- 
wood. But  presently  they  caught  sight  of  Sid 
Todd.  He  was  flourishing  a  stick  at  the  steer. 
The  animal  paid  no  attention  at  first,  but  presently 
commenced  to  shake  his  head  from  side  to  side. 

"  Doesn't  like  it,"  was  Roger's  comment. 

"  He  seems  to  be  saying  *  No '  quite  forcibly," 
added  Dave. 

"  Now  Todd  is  after  him,"  cried  the  shipowner's 
son  a  minute  later.  "  See,  the  steer  is  on  the 
move  at  last." 

"Yes,  but  he  is  going  after  Todd!  "  answered 
Roger. 

Such  was  the  fact,  and  presently  man  and  beast 
disappeared  behind  some  brushwood.  Then,  when 
they  emerged  again,  it  was  seen  that  the  cowboy 
had  lassoed  the  animal  by  one  of  the  forelegs. 
He  was  mounting  the  rocks,  and  the  steer  was 
limping  behind,  trying  vainly  to  shake  himself 


128   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

free.  He  did  not  seem  to  know  enough  to  hold 
back  altogether. 

"Well,  I  think  that  rather  dangerous!"  de- 
clared Phil.  "  Supposing  the  steer  should  run  for 
him?" 

"  I  guess  the  cowboy  knows  what  he  is  doing," 
answered  Dave.  "  If  he  is  pursued,  he  can  easily 
scramble  up  on  some  of  the  steep  rocks  and  get 
out  of  the  way." 

For  fully  ten  minutes  they  watched  the  scene 
below  them  with  interest.  At  one  time  the  cowboy 
would  appear  to  have  the  best  of  the  situation, 
then  it  looked  as  if  the  steer  would  have  his  own 
way.  But  gradually  man  and  beast  worked  up 
toward  the  top  of  the  ravine. 

"  He'll  worry  the  steer  along,  if  he  doesn't  get 
too  tired,"  said  Dave.  "  But  it  must  be  a  fearful 
strain  on  him." 

The  strain  was  heavier  than  the  boys  anticipated 
and  several  times  Sid  Todd  was  on  the  point  of 
giving  up  the  struggle.  Perhaps,  had  he  been 
alone,  he  might  have  done  so.  But,  with  the  others 
looking  on,  he  felt  that  his  reputation  was  at 
stake,  and  so  he  worried  along,  until  he  suddenly 
slipped  on  some  rocks  and  fell  flat. 

As  he  went  down,  the  steer  appeared  to  realize 
the  man's  helplessness,  and  with  a  weird  snort 
he  rushed  forward,  the  lasso  becoming  tangled  up 
on  the  front  leg  as  he  advanced. 


THE  CRAZY  STEER  129 

"  Look  out,  Sid!  "  yelled  Yates.  "  He's  goin' 
to  hook  yer!  " 

Todd  had  been  a  little  stunned  by  his  fall,  and 
a  bit  of  brushwood  hid  the  animal  from  his  view. 
But  at  the  cry  of  alarm  from  the  other  ranch 
hand  he  realized  his  peril  and  rolled  over,  between 
two  tall  rocks. 

On  came  the  steer  and  struck  one  of  the  rocks 
a  blow  that  resounded  loudly  through  the  ravine. 
Then  the  beast  gave  a  leap,  directly  over  Todd's 
body,  and  landed  on  the  rocks  beyond. 

"  Is  he  hurt?  "  asked  Roger,  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  don't  think  so,"  answered 
Dave. 

"  See,  the  steer  is  coming  right  up  the  side  of 
the  ravine!"  cried  Phil.  "He  is  dragging  the 
lasso  after  him." 

"  Yes,  and  he  is  coming  this  way!  "  put  in  the 
senator's  son.  "  Perhaps  we  had  better  get  out 
of  the  way!  "  he  added,  in  alarm. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  he'll  tackle  us,"  answered 
Phil. 

"  There  is  no  telling  what  he  will  do,"  said 
Dave.  "  He  is  coming  to  the  top,  that  is  sure. 
Maybe  we  had  better  get  into  the  saddle.  We'll 
be  safer  on  horseback." 

The  horses  of  the  three  boys  were  tethered  some 
distance  away,  and  as  mentioned  before,  the  lads 
had  to  move  slowly,  for  fear  of  stepping  into  some 


130   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

hole.     As   they  advanced  they  heard  loud  cries 
coming  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  ravine. 

'  What  can  be  wrong  down  there  now?  "  ques- 
tioned the  shipowner's  son. 

"  I  don't  know,"  returned  Roger.  "  Perhaps 
they  are  shouting  to  warn  us." 

'  That  is  just  what  they  are  doing!"  added 
Dave,  quickly.  "  Listen !  " 

"  Look  out,  up  there !  "  came  from  the  ravine. 
"  Look  out!  The  steer  is  coming!  " 

The  boys  quickened  their  pace,  but  hardly  had 
they  covered  half  the  distance  to  where  the  horses 
were  tied  when  Roger  suddenly  slipped  and  went 
down. 

"  Hurry  up !  "  called  out  Phil,  who  was  near. 

"  Oh!  "  moaned  the  senator's  son,  and  his  face 
took  on  a  look  of  pain. 

'  What's  wrong?  "  asked  Dave,  coming  up. 

"  My  foot !  It  got  twisted,  and  now  it  is  fast 
in  the  hole !  "  answered  Roger.  "  Gracious !  how 
it  hurts !  "  he  went  on,  making  a  wry  face. 

"  Come!  come!  "  urged  Dave.  "  That  steer  is 
coming!  There  he  is  now!  "  And  he  pointed  to 
the  lower  end  of  the  ravine,  where  the  animal  had 
just  bobbed  up  among  the  bushes,  shaking  his 
head  from  side  to  side  in  a  queer,  uncanny 
way. 

Roger  tried  to  pull  his  foot  from  between  the 
rocks,  but  was  unable  to  do  so.  Phil  had  run  on, 


THE  CRAZY  STEER  131 

thinking  his  chums  would  follow.  Dave  stopped 
short. 

"  Can't  you  make  it,  Roger?"  he  asked, 
anxiously,  and  with  another  glance  in  the  direction 
of  the  steer.  The  animal  was  now  in  full  view. 

"  I — I — don't  seem  to  be — be  able  to  !  "  panted 
the  senator's  son.  "  Oh,  if  only  that  steer  doesn't 
come  this  way!  "  he  went  on,  in  fresh  alarm. 

"He  is  coming  this  way!"  exclaimed  Dave. 
"  Oh,  Roger,  let  me  help  you  !  "  And  now  he  bent 
over  and  tried  with  might  and  main  to  get  his 
chum's  foot  free.  As  he  did  this  the  steer  came 
forward  slowly.  Then  the  animal  gave  an  unex- 
pected snort  of  rage  and  charged  full  tilt  at  the 
helpless  youth. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE 

IT  was  a  time  of  extreme  peril  for  Roger,  and 
no  one  realized  it  more  fully  than  did  Dave.  The 
angry  steer  was  still  some  distance  away,  but  com- 
ing forward  at  his  best  speed.  One  prod  from 
those  horns  and  the  senator's  son  would  be  killed 
or  badly  hurt. 

As  said  before,  Phil  had  gone  on,  thinking  his 
chums  would  follow.  He  was  already  at  the  side 
of  his  horse,  and  speedily  untied  the  animal,  and 
vaulted  into  the  saddle. 

"Why,  what's  up?  "  he  cried,  in  dismay,  as  he 
turned,  to  behold  Roger  in  the  hole  and  Dave 
beside  him. 

"  Roger's  foot  is  fast!  "  answered  Dave.  "  Oh, 
Phil,  see  if  you  can't  scare  the  steer  off !  " 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  came  from  the  shipowner's 
son,  and  rather  timidly,  it  must  be  confessed,  he 
advanced  on  the  animal  in  question.  He  gave  a 
loud  shout  and  swung  his  arm,  and  the  steer  looked 
toward  him  and  came  to  a  halt. 

"  You've  got  your  gun — if  he  tries  to  horn 
Roger,  shoot  him,"  went  on  Dave. 

132 


A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE  133 

"  I  will,"  answered  Phil,  and  riding  still  closer 
he  swung  his  firearm  around  for  action. 

Dave  made  a  hasty  examination  and  saw  that 
Roger's  foot  was  caught  by  the  toe  and  the 
heel,  and  would  have  to  be  turned  in  a  side- 
way  fashion  to  be  loosened.  He  caught  his 
chum  under  the  arms  and  turned  him  partly 
over. 

"  Now  try  it,"  he  said  quickly,  at  the  same  time 
turning  once  more  to  look  at  the  steer.  The  beast 
had  finished  his  inspection  of  Phil  and  was  coming 
forward  as  before,  with  head  and  horns  almost 
sweeping  the  ground.  Behind  him  trailed  the  long 
lasso,  which  was  still  fast  to  one  of  his  fore- 
legs. 

"  Phil !  Phil !  "  cried  Dave,  suddenly.  "  I  have 
it!  Catch  the  lasso  if  you  can  and  hold  him 
back!" 

"  I  will — if  I  can,"  was  the  ready  response. 
And  making  a  semicircle  the  shipowner's  son  came 
up  behind  the  steer,  leaped  to  the  ground,  caught 
hold  of  the  lasso,  and  sprang  back  into  the  saddle, 
almost  as  quick  as  it  takes  to  tell  it.  Then  he 
made  the  rope  fast  to  his  pommel  and  turned  his 
horse  back. 

The  steer  was  but  two  yards  away  from  Roger 
and  Dave  when  the  rope  on  his  foreleg  suddenly 
tightened,  and  he  found  himself  brought  to  a  halt. 
He  gave  a  wild  snort,  and,  just  as  Roger  found 


134   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

himself  at  liberty,  he  turned  and  gazed  angrily 
at  Phil  and  his  steed.  Then  he  charged  in  that 
direction. 

"  Ride  for  it,  Phil !  "  called  Dave,  but  this  warn- 
ing was  unnecessary,  for  the  shipowner's  son  was 
already  galloping  across  the  field  as  rapidly  as  the 
nature  of  the  ground  permitted.  The  horse  easily 
kept  the  lasso  taut,  thus  worrying  the  steer  not  a 
little. 

By  Dave's  aid  Roger  managed  to  hobble  to 
where  the  other  horses  were  tethered,  and  soon 
both  boys  were  in  the  saddle  and  riding  after  Phil 
and  the  steer. 

"  I  guess  the  steer  is  getting  winded,"  said  Dave, 
coming  closer.  "  He  doesn't  seem  to  have  as  much 
fight  in  him  as  he  did." 

Around  and  around,  in  a  broad  circle,  went  Phil 
and  his  horse  and  the  steer.  But  the  steps  of  the 
latter  were  slower  and  slower,  and  presently  the 
beast  dropped  into  a  walk  and  then  refused  to 
take  another  step.  Phil  came  to  a  halt  also,  but 
kept  the  lasso  tight.  Then  the  steer  lay  down 
on  his  side. 

"  I  guess  he  is  conquered,"  was  Roger's  com- 
ment. 

The  three  boys  kept  at  a  safe  distance  and  waited 
for  the  appearance  of  Sid  Todd  and  the  other 
cowboys.  Presently  Todd  came  over  the  rim  of 
the  ravine  and  looked  around  anxiously. 


A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE  135 

"  Anybody  hurt?  "  he  questioned,  as  he  ran  for- 
ward. 

"  Roger  got  his  ankle  twisted,  running  away 
from  the  steer,"  answered  Dave. 

"What  did  the  critter  do?"  went  on  the  cow- 
boy, and  Phil  and  the  others  told  their  story,  to 
which  Sid  Todd  listened  with  interest.  The  other 
cowboys  also  came  up,  to  look  the  fallen  steer  over. 

"  He  sure  is  a  crazy  one,1'  said  Yates.  "  If  I 
was  the  boss,  I'd  shoot  him." 

"  I'll  report  about  him  as  soon  as  I  get  back," 
answered  Todd.  "  Say,  you  had  a  nerve  to  take 
hold  of  this  lasso,"  he  went  on  to  Phil. 

"  Dave  told  me  to  do  it,"  was  the  answer  of 
the  shipowner's  son.  "  It  was  easy  enough — when 
I  was  on  horseback.  I  shouldn't  have  done  it  if  I 
had  been  on  foot." 

"  Not  much — unless  you're  a  staving  good  run- 
ner," said  Yates,  with  a  grin. 

The  steer  was  too  exhausted  to  make  further  re- 
sistance just  then,  and  the  cowboys  had  but  little 
trouble  in  taking  the  lasso  from  his  foreleg. 

"  He'll  be  all  right  after  a  bit,"  said  Todd,  in 
answer  to  a  question  from  Dave.  "  But  I  think 
myself  he  isn't  just  O.  K.  in  his  head,  and  the  next 
time  we  want  some  fresh  meat  we  might  as  well 
kill  him  off  and  be  done  with  it." 

The  cowboy  insisted  upon  looking  at  Roger's 
ankle.  The  member  was  somewhat  swollen,  but 


136   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

the  senator's  son  said  it  would  not  bother  him  to 
ride  home.  In  a  little  while  they  were  off  in  a 
bunch.  When  quite  *a  distance  from  the  ravine 
they  gazed  back  and  saw  that  the  steer  had  gotten 
up  and  was  grazing  as  if  nothing  out  of  the  ordi- 
nary had  happened. 

"  Well,  we  have  put  in  a  rather  strenuous  day 
for  a  starter,"  remarked  Dave,  when  they  came  in 
sight  of  the  ranch  home.  "  If  this  keeps  up " 

"  But  it  won't,"  interrupted  Phil.  "  I  reckon 
some  days  will  be  dull  enough." 

The  girls  were  awaiting  their  return,  and  they 
listened  with  keen  attention  to  what  the  boys  had 
to  tell. 

"  You  must  bathe  your  ankle  with  liniment," 
cried  Belle.  u  I'll  get  some  for  you,"  and  soon 
she  presented  Roger  with  the  stuff.  He  did  as 
directed,  and  soon  the  swollen  member  felt  far 
more  comfortable.  During  the  evening  the  sena- 
tor's son  took  it  easy  on  the  wide  veranda  and  in 
the  sitting-room. 

"  I  wish  I  had  seen  the  race !  "  cried  Jessie, 
smiling  at  Dave.  "  Some  day  you'll  have  to  have 
another  and  let  us  girls  look  on." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  you  girls  having  a 
race?"  queried  Dave.  "That  would  be  dead 
loads  of  fun — for  us  boys." 

"  Belle  would  be  sure  to  win — she  can  ride  like 
the  wind,'^  answered  Laura. 


A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE  137 

As  soon  as  it  grew  dark  that  evening  the  girls 
and  boys  went  indoors,  and  played  and  sang. 
Belle  showed  her  skill  on  the  piano,  and  Dave  and 
Phil  tried  the  mechanical  arrangement  of  the  in- 
strument, with  perforated  music  rolls.  Almost  be- 
fore they  realized  it,  it  was  time  to  go  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  Roger  still  limped  a  little,  and 
it  was  agreed  to  take  it  easy.  All  wanted  to  write 
letters,  and  the  entire  day  was  spent  in  doing  little 
else. 

"  How  will  the  letters  be  posted?  "  asked  Dave. 

*  Todd  will  take  them  over  to  the  railroad 
station  to-morrow, "  answered  Mrs.  Endicott. 

Shortly  after  dinner  the  next  day,  the  cowboy 
announced  that  he  was  ready  to  take  the  mail  to 
the  station.  Phil  and  Roger  had  wandered  off 
to  the  barns,  to  look  at  some  calves. 

u  If  you  don't  mind,  I'll  go  with  you  to  the  sta- 
tion," said  Dave  to  the  cowboy.  "  The  ride  would 
just  suit  me." 

"  Glad  to  have  you  along,"  answered  Sid  Todd. 
He  had  taken  a  strong  fancy  to  the  boys  and  to 
Dave  in  particular. 

They  were  soon  on  their  way,  Todd  carrying 
the  mail  in  a  bag  slung  over  his  horse's  neck. 
Man  and  boy  were  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and  both 
made  rapid  time  over  the  dusty  roads. 

"  Maybe  you'll  meet  a  friend  of  yours  at  the 
station  when  the  train  comes  in,"  said  Todd. 


138   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  A  friend  ?     Who  ?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  That  Merwell  boy.  Yates  heard  he  was  com- 
ing to-day.  One  of  the  cowboys  from  Merwell's 
ranch  said  so." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  care  to  meet  him,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  He  is  no  friend  of  mine." 

'*  That  boy  ought  to  have  his  hide  tanned  good 
and  proper,"  growled  the  cowboy.  "  He's  been  a 
sore  spot  here  for  years." 

"  Have  you  had  trouble  with  him?  " 
'  Yes,  and  so  has  everybody  else  on  this  ranch, 
and  on  his  own  ranch,  too,  for  the  matter  of  that. 
Not  that  he  did  anything  very  bad,"  continued 
Todd.  "  But  it's  jest  his  mean,  measly  ways. 
He  don't  know  how  to  treat  a  hand  civilly." 

"  Isn't  his  father  the  same  way?  " 

"  Sometimes,  but  not  always.  The  old  man 
knows  that  the  boys  won't  stand  for  too  much 
of  that  thing." 

"  Who  is  at  their  ranch  besides  Mr.  Merwell?  " 

"  Oh,  the  regular  hands,  that's  all." 

"No  young  folks?" 

uNo." 

"  I  should  think  it  would  be  lonely  for 
Link." 

"  Maybe  it  is.  But  that  ain't  no  reason  why  he 
should  act  so  mean,"  added  Sid  Todd. 

"  I  should  think  he'd  want  to  invite  some  of 
his  friends  to  visit  him." 


A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE  139 

"  Maybe  Mr.  Merwell  don't  want  it.  He's 
putty  close,  you  must  remember,  and  it  costs  money 
to  entertain." 

"  Well,  I  pity  Link  if  he  has  got  to  stay  there 
alone." 

"He  don't  stay  all  the  time.  He  rides  to 
town,  and  smokes  and  gambles,  and  gets  into  all 
sorts  of  trouble,  and  then  he  gets  scared  to  death 
for  fear  the  old  man  will  find  it  out,"  concluded 
Sid  Todd. 

They  were  soon  at  the  station,  and  there  found 
they  would  have  to  wait  half  an  hour  for  the 
train  to  come  in.  Several  cowboys  were  present 
and  also  a  gentleman  with  a  white,  flowing 
beard. 

"  That  is  Mr.  Hooper,"  said  Sid  Todd.  "  He 
owns  a  ranch  up  the  river — the  Bar  X.  He's  a 
fine  man."  And  a  few  minutes  later  he  introduced 
Dave  to  the  ranch  owner. 

"  Glad  to  know  you,"  said  Mr.  Hooper.  "  I 
heard  that  my  friend,  Endicott,  had  a  lot  of  boys 
and  girls  at  his  place.  Tell  Belle  she  must  bring 
all  of  you  over  to  my  place  some  day." 

"  Thank  you,  I  will,"  answered  Dave. 

"  We  haven't  any  boys  and  girls  there,  but  I 
reckon  we  can  give  you  a  good  time,"  went  on 
Mr.  Hooper. 

Among  the  cowboys  at  the  station,  Dave  noticed 
one  tall  and  particularly  powerful  fellow.  His 


140   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

face  looked  somewhat  familiar,  and  the  Crum- 
ville  youth  wondered  if  he  had  met  the  man 
before. 

11  That  is  Hank  Snogger,  the  fellow  who  left  our 
place  to  work  for  Mr.  Merwell,"  said  Sid  Todd, 
in  a  low  voice. 

"  His  face  looks  familiar  to  me,  but  I  can't 
place  him,"  returned  Dave.  "  Did  he  come  from 
the  East?" 

"  I  think  he  did,  years  ago.  Think  you  know 
him?" 

"  It  seems  to  me  I've  met  him  before — or  met 
somebody  that  looked  like  him,"  answered  Dave, 
slowly.  He  was  trying  in  vain  to  place  those 
features. 

"  Don't  you  remember  the  name?  " 

"  No." 

"  We  ain't  on  very  good  terms  any  more,  other- 
wise I'd  give  you  a  knock-down  to  him,"  went 
on  the  cowboy. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  care  for  an  introduction," 
answered  Dave.  "  He  doesn't  look  like  a  person 
I'd  want  for  a  friend — he  looks  rather  dissi- 
pated." 

"  He  was  a  good  man  when  he  worked  for  Mr. 
Endicott.  But  he's  not  so  good  since  he  went  over 
to  Merwell." 

There  the  talk  about  Hank  Snogger  ended. 
Once  or  twice  the  man  looked  curiously  at  Dave. 


A  FACE  PUZZLES  DAVE  141 

Each  time  something  in  his  face  struck  the  youth 
as  decidedly  familiar.  Yet,  try  his  best,  the  boy 
could  not  place  the  fellow. 

"  It's  no  use,"  he  told  himself  at  last.  "  Per- 
haps I  don't  know  him,  after  all.  But  I've  seen  a 
face  like  that  somewhere — I  am  sure  of  it." 


CHAPTER  XV 

AMONG  THE  COWBOYS 

"  HERE  she  comes!  " 

It  was  an  enthusiastic  cowboy  who  uttered  the 
words,  and  by  way  of  emphasis  he  fired  his  re- 
volver in  the  air,  as  he  rode  up  beside  the  incoming 
train.  It  was  the  one  moment  of  excitement  at 
the  station. 

The  cars  came  to  a  halt,  and  Sid  Todd  went 
forward  to  give  his  letters  to  the  railway  mail 
clerk.  Dave  watched  the  cars  and  saw  two  men 
and  a  boy  alight.  The  boy  was  Link  Merwell. 

The  former  bully  of  Oak  Hall  looked  haggard, 
as  if  his  dissipation  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere  had 
done  him  much  harm.  His  eyes  were  heavy  as  he 
stood  and  stared  about  him.  Hank  Snogger  had 
gone  forward,  to  care  for  the  mail  from  the 
Merwell  ranch. 

"  Hello,  you  here !  "  cried  Link,  stepping  for- 
ward and  confronting  Dave. 

"  I  am,"  was  the  cool  answer. 

"  Got  here  ahead  of  me,  eh?  " 

"  So  it  would  seem." 

"  Going  to  make  a  spread  out  here,  I  suppose," 
142 


AMONG  THE  COWBOYS  143 

went  on  Link,  with  a  sneer.  "  Paint  the  plains 
red,  and  all  that." 

"  I  came  for  a  good  time,  but  I  don't  intend 
to  paint  anything  red." 

"  Bah,  I  know  you,  Dave  Porter!  You  want 
to  crow  over  everybody,  no  matter  where  you  go. 
But  you'll  find  things  are  different  out  here  from 
what  they  were  at  Oak  Hall,"  added  the  bully, 
significantly.  "  You  can't  pull  the  wool  over  peo- 
ple's eyes  here  like  you  did  there." 

"  I  have  no  more  intention  of  pulling  wool  than 
I  have  of  painting  anything  red,"  answered  Dave, 
as  calmly  as  before.  He  could  see  that  Link  was 
in  a  bad  humor  and  spoiling  for  a  fight. 

"  I  said  I  was  going  to  get  square  with  you, 
and  I  am,"  continued  the  bully,  loudly. 

"  You  keep  your  distance,  Link  Merwell,"  an- 
swered Dave,  and  now  his  tone  was  sharper. 
"  Don't  forget  what  I  did  at  Oak  Hall.  If  you 
want  another  thrashing  like  that  I  can  give  it  to 
you." 

"Get  out!  Don't  you  talk  to  me!"  howled 
Link.  "You  attacked  me  when  I  was  sick!" 
He  spoke  in  a  loud  voice,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
cowboys  and  others  who  were  gathering  around. 
The  train  had  started  away  and  was  soon  out 
of  sight  among  the  hills. 

"  You  were  as  well  as  you  ever  were,"  answered 
Dave. 


144   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  What's  the  row,  Link?  "  asked  Hank  Snogger, 
as  he  pushed  his  way  to  the  front. 

"  Here's  a  fellow  used  to  go  to  school  with  me. 
I've  got  it  in  for  him,  and  I've  a  good  mind  to 
give  him  a  thrashing." 

"  You  put  your  hand  on  me,  and  you'll  take 
the  consequences,"  said  Dave.  u  I  didn't  come 
here  to  fight,  but  I  can  defend  myself." 

"  You  don't  want  to  fight,  do  you,  Dave?" 
asked  Sid  Todd,  in  a  low  voice.  To  him  it  looked 
as  if  the  Crumville  lad  might  be  no  match  for 
Merwell,  who  was  larger  and  heavier. 

"  I  am  not  afraid,  Todd.  I  thrashed  him  once 
and  I  can  do  it  again — if  I  have  to." 

"  You  licked  him?" 

"  Yes." 

"With  your  fists?" 

"  Yes." 

"Where?" 

"  At  school.  He  played  a  dirty  trick  on  me  and 
some  others,  and  I  wouldn't  stand  for  it." 

"  You  shut  your  mouth !  "  roared  Link  Merwell, 
and  without  warning  he  rushed  forward  and  struck 
Dave  a  blow  in  the  chest  that  sent  the  Crumville 
youth  staggering  against  Mr.  Hooper. 

"Wait!  wait!  This  won't  do!"  said  the 
ranchman. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  fight,  fight  fair,"  put  in 
Sid  Todd. 


AMONG  THE  COWBOYS  145 

"Now  don't  you  butt  in  here,  Sid!"  growled 
Hank  Snogger,  with  an  ugly  look  at  the  other 
cowboy. 

"  I'll  see  fair  play,"  answered  Todd,  sharply, 
and  he  elbowed  his  way  between  Snogger  and  Dave. 

Having  delivered  his  unexpected  blow,  Link 
Merwell  sprang  back  and  stood  on  the  defensive. 
Dave  was  not  wearing  any  coat  or  vest,  and  he 
merely  threw  his  hat  to  his  friend.  Then,  as 
quick  as  lightning,  he  sprang  forward,  knocked 
aside  MerwelPs  guard,  and  planted  a  telling  blow 
on  the  bully's  left  eye. 

"  As  you  are  so  anxious  to  fight,  take  that!  " 
cried  Dave,  and  before  the  other  could  recover 
he  landed  a  second  blow  on  Merwell's  chin.  This 
caused  the  bully  to  stagger  against  Hank  Snogger, 
who  kept  him  from  falling  completely. 

uWell!  well!  well!"  sang  out  one  of  the 
cowboys  in  the  crowd.  "  Just  look  at  that !  Mer- 
well, keep  your  eyes  open,  or  you'll  git  knocked 
into  a  jelly!  " 

The  former  bully  of  Oak  Hall  was  staggered, 
but  only  for  a  moment.  Then,  with  a  hoarse  cry 
of  rage,  he  leaped  at  Dave,  and  for  fully  a  minute 
the  blows  came  thick  and  fast  from  each  side. 
Then  the  pair  clinched,  swung  around  and  around, 
and  finally  went  down,  with  Dave  on  top. 

"  Break  away  there!  "  sang  out  Hank  Snogger, 
and  caught  Dave  by  the  ear.  "  Git  up  off  him!  " 


146   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Leave  Porter  alone !  "  yelled  Sid  Todd,  and 
caught  Snogger  by  the  hair.  "  This  is  the  boys' 
fight,  'tain't  yours." 

"  That's  right !  That's  right !  "  came  from  sev- 
eral. "  Leave  the  kids  alone." 

"  He  ain't  goin'  to  hit  Link  when  he's  down," 
growled  Snogger. 

"  I  don't  intend  to,"  answered  Dave,  and  got 
up.  He  turned  to  Hank  Snogger.  "  You  keep 
your  hands  off  of  me,"  he  added,  sharply.  "  This 
is  not  your  quarrel." 

"  Ah,  don't  talk  to  me,"  growled  the  cow- 
boy. 

"  I  will  talk  to  you,"  went  on  Dave.  "  You 
keep  out  of  this." 

Dave  stood  back,  while  Link  slowly  arose  to  his 
feet.  The  bully  was  somewhat  dazed.  But  there 
was  still  a  good  deal  of  fight  left  in  him,  and  sud- 
denly he  charged  on  the  Crumville  lad,  making  a 
heavy  swing  for  Dave's  jaw.  Dave  ducked,  and, 
as  Merwell  swung  around,  caught  the  bully  in  the 
right  ear.  Then  he  followed  the  blow  by  one 
on  the  neck  and  another  directly  in  the  mouth. 
The  latter  loosened  two  teeth  and  sent  the  bully 
into  the  arms  of  Hank  Snogger. 

"Well,  have  you  had  enough?"  asked  Dave. 
He  was  panting  for  breath,  and  his  eyes  were 
blazing  with  determination. 

A  look  full  of  the  bitterest  kind  of  hatred  filled 


AMONG  THE  COWBOYS  14) 

the  face  of  Link  Merwell,  but  he  was  too  staggered 
to  attack  Dave  again.  He  leaned  on  Hank  Snog- 
ger  and  then  turned  his  face  away. 

"  I  say,  have  you  had  enough — or  do  you  want 
another  dose?  "  demanded  Dave. 

"  I'll — fight  this  out  some  other  time,"  answered 
Merwell,  weakly.  He  realized  that  the  eyes  of 
the  crowd  were  on  him,  and  this  made  him  furious. 
But  he  did  not  dare  to  risk  another  attack  from 
the  Crumville  youth,  fearing  what  fighters  call  "  a 
knockout." 

''  Then  you  have  had  enough,  eh?"  went  on 
Dave.  "  Very  well.  And  now,  Merwell,  I  ad- 
vise you  to  keep  your  distance.  If  you  don't — 
well,  you'll  catch  it  worse,  that's  all." 

"  Link  is  tired  out  from  his  long  train  ride," 
remarked  Hank  Snogger.  "  He  ain't  in  no  fit 
condition  fer  a  scrap.  Wait  till  he  has  rested  up 
a  week  or  two — then  he'll  show  thet  tenderfoot 
what's  what."  And  with  these  words  he  led  Link 
away  to  where  a  couple  of  horses  were  tied.  He 
leaped  on  one  and  the  bully  leaped  on  the  other, 
and  in  a  moment  more  both  were  off  for  the  Mer- 
well ranch. 

"  Well,  youngster,  I  reckon  you  can  hold  your 
own,"  remarked  Mr.  Hooper.  He  had  led  a 
rough-and-tumble  life  himself  and  did  not  look  on 
a  fight  as  a  dreadful  matter.  "  You  had  him  go- 
ing." 


148   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  So  you  did,  Dave,"  added  Sid  Todd,  while 
several  other  cowboys  nodded  in  assent. 

"  He  forced  the  fight,"  answered  Dave.  "  I 
suppose  he'll  try  it  again  some  day." 

"  Merwell  always  was  scrappy,"  said  one  of  the 
cowboys. 

"  Takes  after  his  dad,"  added  another;  and 
then  there  was  a  general  laugh.  Several  came 
up  to  shake  hands  with  Dave  and  congratu- 
late him  on  the  outcome  of  the  little  bout. 
Some  of  the  cowboys  were  not  very  refined, 
and  to  them  such  a  fist-fight  seemed  a  great 
thing. 

There  were  a  number  of  letters  for  those  at 
Star  Ranch,  including  two  for  Dave, — from  his 
father  and  from  Ben  Basswood.  With  the  epistles 
in  their  pockets,  Dave  and  Sid  Todd  started  on 
the  return  to  the  Endicott  place.  They  had  to 
follow,  for  some  distance,  the  trail  taken  by  Link 
and  Snogger,  their  road  branching  off  after  the 
bridge  over  the  river  was  crossed. 

Considerable  time  had  been  lost  waiting  for 
the  train  and  because  of  the  set-to  with  Merwell, 
and  the  sun  was  now  going  down  over  the  moun- 
tains in  the  west,  casting  long  shadows  over  the 
plains. 

"  You'll  have  a  late  supper  to-night,"  said  Todd, 
as  they  moved  on  at  a  brisk  pace.  "  And  I  reckon 
you'll  have  an  appetite  for  it.  The  way  you  pol- 


AMONG  THE  COWBOYS  149 

ished  off  that  cub  was  great !  "     And  he  shook  his 
head  enthusiastically. 

"  I  wish  you'd  do  me  a  favor,  Todd,"  returned 
Dave. 

"  Sure  thing,  son.     What  do  you  want?  " 

"  Please  don't  say  too  much  at  the  ranch  about 
the  fight.  I  don't  want  to  scare  my  sister  and 
the  other  girls." 

"  Can't  I  tell  the  boys  how  you  polished  off 
young  Merwell?  Most  of  'em  will  be  glad  to 
hear  it." 

"  Well,  don't  say  too  much,  that's  all.  If  they 
learn  that  Link  is  on  the  watch  to  do  harm,  the 
girls  will  be  almost  too  afraid  to  go  out." 

"  Do  you  think  that  cub  would  be  mean  enough 
to  harm  the  gals?  " 

"  He'd  be  mean  enough  to  scare  them  half  to 
death." 

"  If  he  does  that — well,  I  reckon  I'll  take  a 
hand  in  lickin'  him  myself." 

'  We  came  out  here  to  have  a  good  time,  and 
I  want  to  forget  Link  Merwell,  if  possible.  But 
I'll  keep  my  eyes  open  for  him — and  I'll  tell 
Phil  and  Roger  to  watch  out,  too,"  added  Dave, 
soberly. 

Sid  Todd  was  anxious  to  know  more  of  Link's 
doings  at  Oak  Hall,  and  Dave  told  how  Link  had 
tried  to  get  Gus  Plum  and  himself  into  trouble. 
He  did  not  mention  the  trouble  Laura  and  Jessie 


150   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

had  had,  for  he  did  not  wish  to  drag  the  names 
of  the  girls  into  the  affair. 

"  He  sure  is  a  bad  egg,"  said  the  cowboy,  at 
the  end  of  the  recital.  "  Keep  an  eye  on  him  by 
all  means." 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  vicinity  of  the 
bridge  it  was  quite  dark.  Remembering  the  bad 
condition  of  the  structure  spanning  the  stream, 
Sid  Todd  cautioned  Dave  to  let  his  horse  walk. 

"  Look!  "  cried  the  youth,  a  second  later,  and 
pointed  around  a  rise  of  rocks  to  the  bridge.  He 
had  seen  two  figures  leaving  the  structure.  They 
disappeared  behind  a  high  clump  of  brushwood. 

"What  did  you  see?"  questioned  Todd,  who 
had  been  gazing  off  to  one  side  of  the  trail. 

"  Two  persons  on  the  bridge.  They  just  ran 
away  into  the  bushes." 

"On  foot?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Humph !  Didn't  know  anybody  was  out  on 
foot  around  here,"  mused  the  cowboy.  "  Sure  it 
wasn't  a  bear,  or  some  other  animal?"  And  he 
felt  for  his  horse-pistol. 

"  No,  they  were  men,  or  boys,"  answered  Dave. 
"  They  ran  off  the  bridge  the  minute  we  came  in 
sight." 

"Huh!  I  wonder  if  it's  possible  them  hoss- 
thieves  is  around  again." 

"  Have  you  horse-thieves  in  this  territory?  " 


AMONG  THE  COWBOYS  151 

"  We  sure  have.  Lost  two  bosses  last  spring 
and  two  last  summer.  I'll  have  to  tell  the  boss 
about  seeing  them  fellows.  But  maybe — say,  hold 
on,  Dave." 

"What  now  ?" 

"  I  may  be  mistaken,  but — don't  go  on  the  bridge 
on  hossback." 

"Why  not?" 

"  I'll  tell  you — after  I've  examined  the  bridge," 
answered  Sid  Todd,  and  in  a  manner  that  mystified 
Dave  very  much. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL 

ARRIVING  at  the  bridge,  Sid  Todd  told  Dave 
to  halt,  and  the  pair  dismounted.  As  they  did 
so  they  heard  a  sound  in  the  bushes  beside  the 
stream.  They  looked  in  the  direction,  but  saw 
nobody. 

The  cowboy  had  drawn  his  pistol,  and  with  this 
in  hand  he  walked  closer  to  the  bridge.  His  eyes 
were  on  the  planking,  and  presently  he  uttered 
an  exclamation: 

"  The  rascals !  " 

He  pointed  to  two  of  the  planks,  and  Dave  saw 
that  they  were  loose  and  so  placed  that  the  slightest 
jar  would  send  them  down  into  the  stream. 

"  Do  you  think  those  men  I  just  saw  did  this?  " 
questioned  Dave. 

"  Certainly  they  did !  They  ought  to  be  hung 
for  it,  too !  "  answered  the  cowboy,  wrath  fully. 

"  But  what  for — to  cripple  our  horses?  " 

"  Either  that,  or  to  cripple  us.  Dave,  we've 
got  to  be  on  our  guard.  If  those  hoss-thieves  are 

watching  us " 

152 


A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL  153 

"  I  don't  think  they  were  horse-thieves,  Todd." 

"  You  don't?  Then "  The  cowboy  broke 

off  into  a  low  whistle.  u  Do  you  mean  to  say  Link 
Merwell  would  play  such  a  dirty  trick?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do.  You  haven't  any  idea  how  that 
fellow  hates  me." 

"Hum!"  mused  Sid  Todd.  "Well,  maybe, 
but  I  thought  it  must  be  the  hoss-thieves." 

"  Why  would  horse-thieves  want  to  hurt  our 
horses?  " 

u  They  wouldn't  want  to  do  that,  but  they  might 
be  thinking  our  horses  would  fall  and  throw  us. 
But  I  see  that  reasoning  is  weak.  Maybe  it  was 
young  Merwell — and  Hank  Snogger.  If  it  was, 
they  ought  to  be  punished  good  an'  proper,  hear 
me !  "  went  on  the  cowboy,  with  emphasis. 

"  I  am  going  to  look  around  the  bushes,"  went 
on  Dave,  determinedly. 

"  Look  out  that  you  don't  get  into  trouble,  son. 
Anybody  who  would  do  this  would  do  worse." 

Dave  had  seen  a  heavy  stick  lying  beside  the 
road,  and  arming  himself  with  this,  he  walked  to 
the  bushes  and  around  them.  In  the  soft  soil  he 
made  out  a  number  of  hoof-prints,  and  he  called 
Todd's  attention  to  these. 

"  On  hossback,  both  of  'em,"  said  the  cowboy, 
after  an  examination.  "  Dave,  you  was  right," 
he  announced,  a  little  later.  "  It  must  have  been 
Merwell  and  Snogger,  fer  see,  they  have  taken  the 


154   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

old  trail  along  the  river.  That  leads  to  another 
trail  that  runs  to  the  Merwell  ranch." 

"  Well,  they  are  gone,  that's  certain, "  answered 
the  youth,  after  another  look  around.  "  We  may 
as  well  be  on  our  way.  But  we  ought  to  mend 
the  bridge." 

"  We'll  do  that, — an'  post  a  warning,  too," 
said  the  cowboy. 

Not  without  difficulty,  they  managed  to  fasten 
the  planks  into  place  once  more.  Then,  at  either 
end  of  the  rickety  structure,  they  set  up  a  stick 
in  the  road. 

"  That's  the  usual  warning  in  this  country," 
explained  Todd.  "  It  means  '  Go  slow  and  look 
out.'  " 

When  the  pair  arrived  at  Star  Ranch  they  found 
the  boys  and  girls  waiting  for  them. 

"  You  must  have  walked  back,"  said  Belle. 
"  We  have  been  waiting  for  you  ever  since  we 
heard  the  locomotive  whistle." 

"  Oh,  we  had  to  stop  to  fix  the  bridge,"  an- 
swered Dave,  and  then  handed  around  the  letters, 
which  instantly  claimed  attention,  so  no  more  ques- 
tions were  asked.  Then  the  Crumville  youth  had 
supper,  and  by  that  time  it  was  late  enough  to  go 
to  bed. 

"  You've  got  a  cut  on  your  cheek,  Dave,"  said 
Phil,  when  the  three  boys  were  undressing.  "  Did 
you  scratch  yourself?  " 


A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL          155 

"  Thereby  hangs  a  tale,  Phil,"  quoted  Dave,  and 
then,  in  a  low  voice,  told  of  the  encounter  at  the 
railroad  station,  and  gave  the  true  particulars  of 
the  trouble  at  the  river. 

"It's  the  same  old  Link!  "  murmured  Roger. 
"  We'll  have  to  watch  out  for  him !  " 

"  I  really  think  the  girls  ought  to  be  warned," 
said  Phil.  "  There  is  no  telling  what  mean  thing 
Link  might  do — if  he  met  them  alone." 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  to  frighten  them,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

"  Better  frighten  them  than  give  Link  the  chance 
to  annoy  them,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 

"  Say,  I  wish  I  had  seen  you  polish  off  Link!  " 
cried  Phil.  "  It  would  have  done  my  heart  good. 
I'll  wager  he  was  as  mad  as  he  could  be !  " 

"  Oh,  he  was  mad  enough,"  replied  Dave,  with 
a  grim  smile.  "  But  say,  when  you  get  the  chance, 
I  want  you  to  look  at  that  Hank  Snogger.  He 
looks  like  somebody  I've  met  somewhere,  but  for 
the  life  of  me  I  can't  place  him." 

"Is  he  handsome?"  quizzed  the  shipowner's 
son. 

"  No,  he  looks  melancholy — as  if  he  had 
something  on  his  mind.  It's  a  peculiar  face, 
and  for  the  life  of  me  I  can't  get  it  out  of  my 
mind." 

Several  days  passed  and  nothing  of  importance 
happened.  The  boys  and  girls  enjoyed  themselves 


156   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

thoroughly,  and  the  Endicotts  did  all  in  their  power 
to  make  the  visitors  feel  at  home.  At  first,  Jessie 
was  inclined  to  be  a  little  shy,  but  soon  this  wore 
away  and  she  felt  as  happy  as  anybody. 

"  It  certainly  is  a  splendid  spot,"  said  she  to 
Dave.  "  I  don't  wonder  Laura  was  anxious  to 
get  back,  and  to  have  you  see  it." 

"  It  suits  me — I  wouldn't  ask  for  a  better  vaca- 
tion, especially  " — Dave  dropped  his  voice  a  little 
— "  with  you  along,  Jessie." 

"  Oh,  Dave !  "  she  cried,  and  blushed. 

"  It  wouldn't  be  half  so  much  fun  if  you  hadn't 
come  along,  Jessie,"  he  went  on.  "  I  am  very, 
very  glad  that  we  are  here — together." 

'<l  Well,  so — so  am  I,"  answered  the  girl,  and 
then,  still  blushing,  she  ran  off  to  join  Belle  and 
Laura.  But  the  look  she  gave  Dave  warmed  his 
heart  as  it  had  never  been  warmed  before. 

Sunday  passed,  with  a  little  home  service,  in 
which  all  those  in  the  house  and  also  a  few  of 
the  cowboys  joined.  The  boys  and  girls  sang 
some  of  the  familiar  church  songs,  and  this  the 
cowboys  greatly  enjoyed. 

"  We  don't  git  much  in  the  way  of  entertainment 
here,"  explained  Sid  Todd,  "  and  that  singin' 
sounds  mighty  good  to  us.  It  touches  a  fellow 
here,  too,"  he  added,  with  his  finger  over  his 
heart. 

"  If  Mr.  Endicott  will  permit  it,  we'll  give  you 


A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL          157 

boys  an  entertainment  before  we  go  home,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  We  give  them  at  Oak  Hall,  you 
know, — and  the  girls  can  help." 

"  Say,  that  sure  would  be  fine!  "  answered  the 
cowboy,  enthusiastically. 

The  boys  had  found  out  from  Mr.  Endicott 
where  good  fishing  could  be  had,  and  early  of  the 
second  week  at  Star  Ranch  they  went  out,  taking 
the  girls  with  them.  All  were  on  horseback,  and 
carried  lunch  along,  for  they  were  to  remain  out 
all  day. 

"  Now  keep  out  of  truble,"  said  Mrs.  Endicott, 
as  they  rode  away.  "  And  be  sure  to  come  back 
before  dark." 

"  We'll  be  back  by  six,  mamma,"  answered 
Belle.  "  And  you  needn't  worry  about  us,  for 
we'll  be  perfectly  safe." 

They  were  bound  for  a  spot  among  the  foothills, 
about  six  miles  away.  Here  was  located  a  moun- 
tain torrent,  said  to  be  filled  with  the  gamiest  kind 
of  specimens  of  the  finny  tribe.  Sid  Todd  had 
told  them  of  a  particularly  good  bend  in  the  stream, 
where  fishing  was  bound  to  be  excellent,  and  Belle 
said  she  knew  the  trail,  having  gone  to  the  locality 
several  times  with  her  father.  She  was  a  true  y  Jung 
sportswoman,  and  could  fish  almost  as  well  as  her 
parent.  She  carried  the  same  kind  of  an  outfit  as 
did  the  boys.  Jessie  and  Laura  did  not  expect 
to  fish,  but  said  they  would  watch  the  others,  and 


158   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

pick  wild  flowers,  and  also  prepare  the  lunch  when 
it  came  time  to  eat. 

All  were  in  the  best  of  health  and  spirits  when 
they  departed.  It  promised  to  be  an  ideal  day, 
with  the  sun  shining  clearly,  and  a  gentle  breeze 
blowing  from  the  northwest.  They  passed  along 
at  a  smart  gait,  for  the  boys  and  Belle  were  anxious 
to  try  their  luck  with  their  lines  and  poles. 

u  If  we  catch  enough,  right  from,  the  start, 
we  can  fry  some  fish  for  lunch/'  said  Dave.  "  I 
love  fish  just  from  the  water." 

"  Oh,  so  do  I !  "  cried  Belle.  "  They  seem  so 
much  sweeter." 

"  In  the  city  one  gets  them  all  packed  in  ice, 
and  then  half  the  flavor  is  gone,"  added  Laura. 

They  started  in  a  bunch,  but  gradually  drifted 
into  pairs,  Dave  riding  beside  Jessie,  Roger  escort- 
ing Laura,  and  Phil  taking  the  lead  with  Belle. 
The  senator's  son  and  Dave's  sister  had  become 
very  "  chummy,"  and  it  can  be  said  that  Phil  and 
Belle  were  fully  as  attentive  to  one  another  as  the 
occasion  warranted.  All  told  stories  and  sang,  and 
the  boys  whistled. 

Half  an  hour  of  riding  brought  them  to  the 
edge  of  a  woods,  and  here  they  had  to  proceed  in 
single  file,  or  "  Indian  fashion,"  as  Belle  expressed 
it. 

"  By  the  way,  are  there  any  Indians  around 
here?  "  asked  Jessie,  timidly. 


A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL  159 

"  A  few,  and  they  are  very  peaceable, "  answered 
the  ranch  owner's  daughter.  "  Our  only  enemies 
are  the  cattle-  and  horse-thieves." 

They  were  passing  through  some  dense  under- 
brush when  Belle  suddenly  called  a  halt.  The 
trail  was  very  narrow,  and  on  either  side  grew 
dense  clumps  of  trees. 

"  Somebody  is  coming,"  announced  the  girl. 

"  On  this  trail?  "  asked  Laura. 

"  Yes." 

"  We'll  have  some  fun  passing  each  other,  espe- 
cially if  it's  a  fat  man,"  remarked  Roger,  dryly, 
and  this  caused  a  laugh. 

They  waited,  and  presently  saw  a  boy  approach- 
ing on  horseback,  followed  by  a  lean-looking  man 
who  wore  a  tattered  cowboy  dress  and  a  much- 
battered  sombrero. 

"  It's  Link  Merwell !  "  exclaimed  Phil. 

He  was  right,  and  the  bully  did  not  stop  until 
his  horse  stood  directly  in  front  of  that  ridden 
by  Belle.  Then  he  came  to  a  halt,  and  his  com- 
panion halted  directly  behind  him. 

"  I  want  to  pass,"  growled  Link,  without  so 
much  as  raising  his  hat  or  bidding  the  time  of  day. 

"  All  right,  pass,"  answered  Phil,  stiffly.  "  We 
are  not  keeping  you." 

"  You  are  blocking  the  trail." 

"  Can't  you  pass  around  the  ladies?  "  questioned 
Roger. 


i6o   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  IVe  got  as  much  right  on  this  trail  as  you," 
returned  the  bully,  shooting  a  dark  look  at  the 
others.  "  You  needn't  think  you  own  every- 
thing! " 

u  Oh,  let  us  ride  to  one  side  and  let  him  pass!  " 
whispered  Jessie.  "  He  may  want  to  fight  if  we 
don't  1  " 

"  He  won't  fight  with  so  many  against  him," 
answered  Dave. 

"  You  are  very  considerate  of  the  ladies,  I  must 
say,"  said  Roger.  "  We'll  give  you  half  the  trail 
and  no  more,"  and  he  urged  his  horse  a  little  to 
one  side  and  Dave  and  Phil  did  the  same.  The 
girls  moved  still  further  over,  so  that  Link  Mer- 
well  might  not  touch  them  as  he  passed. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  demanded  the  bully, 
as  he  moved  slowly  forward. 

"  That  is  our  affair,  not  yours,"  answered  Dave, 
sharply. 

"  You  keep  off  my  father's  land!  " 

"  We  don't  intend  to  go  near  your  land,"  said 
Belle,  coldly. 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  you,  Belle,  I  meant  Dave 
Porter  and  his  cronies." 

"  Mr.  Porter  and  his  friends  are  my  guests, 
Mr.  Merwell.  When  you  insult  them,  you  insult 
me."  And  Belle  held  her  head  high  in  the  air. 

"  All  right;  have  your  own  way,  if  you  want  to. 
I  haven't  got  anything  against  you  and  your  folks. 


A  MEETING  ON  THE  TRAIL          161 

But  I  don't  intend  these  outsiders  shall  ride  over 
me,"  growled  Link.  He  faced  Dave.  "  I'm  not 
done  with  you  yet,  remember  that!"  he  added, 
bitterly.  Then  he  rode  on,  and  the  lean-looking 
man  behind  him  followed.  Belle  looked  at  the 
man  curiously,  but  the  fellow  kept  his  face  averted 
as  he  slipped  by.  Soon  boy  and  man  had  disap- 
peared from  view. 

uTalk  about  a  lemon!"  cried  Phil.  "Say, 
isn't  Link  the  sourest  ever !  " 

"  He  certainly  is,"  answered  Roger. 

"  Let's  forget  him,"  said  Dave.  "  We  are  out 
for  fun  to-day,  not  for  trouble."  And  then  they 
moved  forward  as  before.  Little  did  any  of  them 
dream  of  what  that  unexpected  meeting  in  the 
woods  was  to  bring  forth. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

IN  WHICH  SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN 

A  HALF  hour  more  of  riding  brought  the  little 
party  to  the  bank  of  the  stream  at  a  point  where 
Belle  said  they  would  be  sure  to  find  good  fishing. 
Here  there  was  something  of  a  pool,  the  river 
tumbling  from  some  rocks  above.  The  pool  was 
lined  with  rocks  and  brushwood,  and  behind  these 
was  a  glade,  backed  up  by  the  woods. 

"  What  a  lovely  spot !  "  cried  Jessie,  enthusias- 
tically, as  Dave  assisted  her  to  dismount,  and  took 
charge  of  her  horse.  "  Just  look  at  the  wild 
flowers  among  the  rocks !  One  would  not  believe 
that  they  could  grow  in  such  a  place !  " 

"  I  am  glad  I  brought  my  camera  with  me," 
said  Laura.  "  I  am  sure  I  shall  get  some  fine 
pictures." 

Belle  showed  the  boys  where  the  animals  might 
be  tethered,  and  they  took  particular  care  to  fasten 
the  steeds  properly,  as  Sid  Todd  had  instructed 
them.  Then  they  got  out  their  fishing-rods,  and 
also  that  of  Belle,  and  baited  up  with  the  artificial 
flies  they  had  brought  along. 

162 


SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN  163 

"  We'll  fish  for  an  hour,"  announced  Dave. 
"  And  then  I'll  knock  off  and  start  up  a  camp- 
fire." 

"  When  you  do  that  be  careful  and  not  set 
fire  to  the  woods,"  said  Belle.  "  Papa  is  very 
much  afraid  of  fire." 

"  I  don't  blame  him,"  put  in  Roger.  "  A  fire 
out  here  would  do  a  terrible  amount  of  damage." 

The  boys  and  Belle  were  soon  busy  fishing,  in 
the  pool  and  along  the  lower  part  of  the  river. 
The  stream  was  about  thirty  feet  in  width  and 
from  a  foot  to  four  foot  deep,  with  great  rocks 
sticking  up  here  and  there.  Trout  and  some  other 
fish  were  plentiful,  and  all  had  but  little  difficulty 
in  getting  bites,  and  it  was  great  sport  to  play 
their  catches  and  land  them. 

"This  is  the  best  fishing  I  ever  saw!"  cried 
Phil,  as  he  succeeded  in  landing  an  extra  fine  moun- 
tain trout.  "  I  don't  wonder  that  fishermen  come 
many  miles  to  gratify  their  taste  for  such  sport." 

"Here's  another!"  exclaimed  Belle,  merrily, 
and  brought  in  a  fish  that  was  a  beauty.  Roger  and 
Dave  both  leaped  to  help  her,  and  soon  the  catch 
was  dropped  into  a  side  pool  with  the  others. 

While  the  boys  and  Belle  were  fishing,  Laura 
and  Jessie  wandered  up  and  down  the  rocks  and 
the  grassy  glade  beyond,  gathering  wild  flowers  and 
also  some  blackberries  that  grew  in  that  vicinity. 
Dave's  sister  also  succeeded  in  getting  several 


164   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

photographs,  including  two  of  the  others  with  their 
fishing  outfits. 

"  Now,  I  want  you  all  to  stand  in  a  group,  with 
your  fish  on  strings,"  said  Laura,  a  little  later, 
when  the  fishing  seemed  to  slow  up  a  little.  And 
then  she  arranged  them  to  suit  herself  and  took 
two  snapshots. 

"  Now,  let  me  take  a  snapshot  of  you  and  Jessie, 
with  your  bunches  of  wild  flowers,"  said  Dave, 
and  this  was  soon  added  to  the  other  films. 

They  had  great  fun  building  a  campfire  and 
preparing  lunch.  The  boys  cut  the  wood  and 
started  the  blaze,  and  even  made  coffee,  while  the 
girls  spread  a  tablecloth  that  had  been  brought 
along,  and  put  out  tin  plates  and  tin  cups,  and  the 
various  good  things  to  eat.  Then  some  of  the  fish 
were  cleaned  by  the  boys  and  fried  by  the  girls, 
and  all  sat  down  to  enjoy  what  every  one  declared 
was  better  than  a  feast  at  a  hotel.  In  the  meantime 
the  horses  were  tethered  in  a  new  place,  so  that 
they  could  crop  the  luxurious  grass. 

"  I  can  tell  you  one  thing,  life  in  the  open  air 
gives  one  a  great  appetite,"  remarked  the  senator's 
son,  as  he  smacked  his  lips  over  a  particularly 
dainty  portion  of  trout. 

"  As  if  there  was  ever  anything  the  matter  with 
Roger's  appetite,"  cried  Phil. 

"  How  about  yourself,  Phil?  "  questioned  Dave, 
with  a  grin. 


SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN  165 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  I  can  get  away  with  my  share," 
answered  the  shipowner's  son  calmly,  as  he  reached 
for  another  portion  of  the  fish. 

As  there  was  no  hurry,  the  boys  and  girls  took 
their  time  over  the  meal,  and  many  were  the  stories 
told  and  the  jokes  cracked  while  the  food  was 
disappearing. 

"  If  only  some  of  the  Oak  Hall  boys  could  see 
us  now !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Wouldn't  they  envy  us !  " 

"  They  certainly  would,"  answered  Roger. 

"  And  what  of  the  girls  at  home?  "  asked  Jessie. 
"  I  rather  think  they'd  like  to  be  in  our  place." 

"  Crumville  seems  a  long  way  off,  doesn't  it?  " 
said  Laura. 

Besides  the  fish,  they  had  chicken  sandwiches, 
cake,  pie,  and  half  a  dozen  other  things  to  eat, 
and  coffee,  and  water  from  a  sparkling  spring  to 
drink.  When  they  had  finished,  they  took  it  easy 
for  a  while,  and  then  fished  some  more,  and  went 
strolling. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  be  thinking  of  return- 
ing," said  Belle,  at  length.  "  It  is  a  long  ride 
back,  remember,  and  unless  I  am  mistaken  there 
is  a  storm  coming  up." 

"  A  storm !  "  cried  Jessie.     "  Oh,  I  hope  not !  " 

"  We  don't  want  to  get  wet,"  added  Laura. 

"  I  don't  think  the  storm  will  come  right  away. 
But  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  the  clouds  yonder." 

"  They  certainly  do  look  bad,"  remarked  Dave, 


166   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

casting  his  eyes  in  the  direction  to  which  Belle 
pointed.  "  It  didn't  look  like  rain  this  morning." 

"  It  may  be  more  wind  than  rain,  Dave.  Some- 
times we  have  great  windstorms  around  Star 
Ranch." 

They  were  quite  a  distance  up  the  river  shore 
when  Belle  called  attention  to  the  clouds.  They 
had  gone  up  to  get  a  view  of  a  small  but  picturesque 
waterfall,  and  Laura  had  taken  several  snapshots, 
with  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  foreground,  seated 
on  a  fallen  tree  trunk.  Now  all  started  back  in 
the  direction  of  the  temporary  camp. 

"  Say,  Roger,  you  help  the  girls  pack  up,"  said 
Dave.  "  Phil  and  I  can  get  the  horses  ready. 
Be  sure  to  see  that  the  fire  is  out,  too,"  he  called 
back. 

"  All  right,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  The 
fire  is  out — I  saw  to  that  before,"  he  added. 

The  horses  had  been  tethered  at  some  distance 
from  the  camping-out  spot,  behind  some  heavy 
brushwood,  where  the  grass  was  extra  thick  and 
nutritious.  Dave  hurried  in  that  direction,  with 
Phil  at  his  heels. 

When  the  two  youths  reached  the  spot,  both 
stared  around  in  perplexity. 

"  Why,  Dave "  stammered  the  shipowner's 

son.  "  I  thought " 

"  We  left  the  horses  here !  "  cried  Dave.  "  I'm 
sure  of  it." 


SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN  167 

"Then  where  are  they  now?" 

"  Maybe  they  broke  loose  and  wandered  away." 

"  Or  else  they  have  been  stolen!  " 

"Stolen!" 

"  Yes, — it  couldn't  be  otherwise.  They  wan- 
dered away  or  they  have  been  stolen." 

"  We'll  take  a  look  around." 

Both  boys  hurried,  first  in  one  direction,  and  then 
another.  They  could  see  hoofprints  in  the  grass, 
leading  towards  the  rocks  back  of  the  bushes,  but 
that  was  all.  The  horses  had  been  tethered  to 
some  saplings. 

"  The  halters  didn't  break,  that's  certain,"  said 
Phil,  soberly.  "  For  if  they  did,  we'd  find  the 
broken  ends." 

"  I  can't  understand  it,"  returned  Dave,  and  his 
face  grew  thoughtful. 

"  Hello !  "  came  in  Roger's  voice.  "  Why  don't 
you  bring  those  horses?  We  are  all  ready  to  go." 

"  Come  here !  "  called  back  Dave.  "  Something 
is  wrong  1  " 

The  senator's  son  answered  the  summons  on  a 
run,  and  the  three  girls  trailed  behind  him.  The 
newcomers  to  Star  Ranch  did  not  know  what  to 
say,  but  Belle  uttered  a  cry  of  dismay: 

"  Horse-thieves !" 

"  Oh,  Belle,  do  you  really  think  somebody  has 
stolen  the  horses?"  queried  Laura,  while  Jessie 
turned  very  pale. 


1 68   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  was  the  blunt  response.  "  That 
is,  if  they  were  tied  properly." 

"  Yes,  they  were  well  tied — I  saw  to  that  my- 
self," said  Dave. 

"  I  know  mine  was  tied  fast,and  so  was  Laura's," 
added  the  senator's  son. 

"  And  I  put  a  double  knot  in  the  rope  to  Belle's 
and  mine,"  came  from  Phil. 

"  One  thing  is  sure,"  said  Laura.  "  They 
couldn't  very  well  all  break  away  at  once." 

"  I  am  sure  it  is  the  work  of  horse-thieves," 
responded  Belle.  "  Papa  has  been  afraid  they 
might  come  back." 

"  But  how  did  they  know  about  our  horses  be- 
ing here?  "  asked  Phil. 

"  They  must  have  watched  us  and  seen  us  ride 
away  from  the  ranch,  and  then  they  followed,  and 
took  the  horses  while  we  were  up  the  river." 

"  If  only  we  could  follow  them,  and  get  the 
horses  back!  "  said  the  senator's  son,  with  a  sigh. 

"  They  must  be  worth  a  lot  of  money,"  mur- 
mured Jessie.  "  Oh,  supposing  they  had  shot  us !  " 
she  added,  tremblingly. 

"  Horse-thieves  are  usually  cowards,"  answered 
Belle.  "  They  won't  shoot  unless  they  are  cor- 
nered. I'd  like  to  follow  them  myself,  but  we 
can't  do  it  on  foot." 

"  What  are  we  to  do?  "  asked  Laura,  and  looked 
at  her  brother. 


SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN  169 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Dave.  "  One  or  two 
of  us  boys  might  walk  back  to  the  ranch  and  tell 
the  folks  of  what  has  happened." 

"  But  it  is  such  a  distance,  Dave!  "  cried  Jessie. 
"  And  see  how  black  the  sky  is  getting!  "  she 
added. 

"  It  is  quite  a  number  of  miles  to  the  ranch 
house,"  said  Belle.  "  You  would  not  be  able  to 
reach  there  until  long  after  nightfall." 

"  I  shouldn't  mind  that,"  answered  Dave. 
"  But  what  will  the  rest  of  you  do  in  the  mean- 
time? You  can't  stay  out  here  in  the  open  very 
well,  with  that  storm  coming  on." 

"  Dave,  you're  not  going  to  the  house  alone," 
cried  Laura.  "  I'll  not  allow  it.  Supposing  those 
horse-thieves  should  be  watching  you?  They 
might  attack  you,  and  rob  you !  " 

*  Yes,  please  don't  think  of  going  alone," 
pleaded  Jessie,  and  her  eyes  began  to  fill  with 
tears. 

"  Dave  is  not  going  alone.  I  am  going  with 
him,"  declared  Roger. 

"  No,  I'll  go,"  volunteered  Phil.  "  You  can 
stay  with  the  girls." 

14  Well,  both  of  you  can't  go,"  answered  Dave, 
with  a  grim  smile.  "  Somebody  has  got  to  stay 
here, — in  fact,  I  think  it  would  be  better  that 
both  of  you  stay  with  the  girls — in  case  I  don't 
get  back  with  help  by  morning." 


170   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Of  course,  if  it  wasn't  for  the  loss  of  the 
horses  we  could  all  stay  here,"  said  Belle.  "  Papa 
will  be  sure  to  send  somebody  out  to  look  us  up 
when  it  gets  late  and  we  are  not  back.  But  I 
think  he  ought  to  know  about  the  horses  just  as 
soon  as  possible." 

"  Is  there  any  sort  of  a  shelter  around  here?  " 
questioned  Roger. 

"  Yes,  there  is  a  shack  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
up  the  river,"  answered  the  ranch  owner's  daugh- 
ter. "  Papa  stayed  there  several  nights,  once  upon 
a  time.  It  isn't  much  of  a  place,  but  it  will  shelter 
us  from  the  storm." 

"  Are  you  sure  you  can  find  it?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I've  been  there  twice." 

"  Then  you  and  the  others  had  best  put  up  there 
for  the  night,  and  I'll  start  at  once  for  the  ranch 
house,"  went  on  Dave.  "  I  am  not  afraid,  and  I'll 
keep  my  eyes  wide  open  for  those  horse-thieves," 
he  continued. 

But  to  this  plan  the  girls  would  not  listen,  and 
at  last  it  was  arranged  that  Roger  should  remain 
with  the  girls,  while  Dave  and  Phil  walked  to 
the  house  for  aid.  The  crowd  left  behind  were 
to  hurry  to  the  shack  up  the  river,  and  there  make 
themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible  until  help 
arrived. 

"  Do  be  careful  now,  Dave!"  said  his  sister, 
as  he  was  on  the  point  of  departing. 


SOME  HORSES  ARE  STOLEN  171 

"  Yes !  yes !  "  added  Jessie.  "  I  shall  worry 
every  minute  until  you  get  back!  " 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,"  answered  Dave.  "  We'll 
get  through  all  right,  and  have  help  here  before 
you  know  it." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  the  trail?  "  asked  Belle. 

"  Oh,  yes,  that's  easy,"  answered  Phil. 

Without  another  word  the  two  chums  started 
off  in  the  direction  of  the  ranch  house,  so  many 
miles  distant.  The  others  watched  them  out  of 
sight,  and  then  turned  and  walked  up  the  river 
bank  toward  the  shack  Belle  had  mentioned. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN 

"  DAVE,  what  do  you  suppose  those  six  horses 
were  worth?  "  questioned  Phil,  as  the  two  youths 
hurried  along  the  back  trail  on  a  dog-trot, — the 
same  dog-trot  they  used  when  on  a  cross-country 
run  at  Oak  Hall. 

"  At  least  two  thousand  dollars,  Phil,"  was  the 
reply.  "  The  horse  I  used  was  a  dandy,  and  so 
was  that  Belle  had — and  yours  was  a  good  one, 
too." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  those  horse-thieves  will 
do  with  them  ?  " 

"  Drive  them  a  long  distance,  hide  them  for  a 
while,  and  then,  when  they  get  the  chance,  sell 
them.  Of  course  they  don't  expect  to  get  full 
value  for  them,  but  they'll  get  a  neat  sum." 

"  You  don't  suppose  this  can  be  a  trick  of  Link 
MerwelPs?" 

"  I  thought  of  that,  but  I  don't  think  so.  Tak- 
ing a  horse  in  this  section  of  the  country  is  a  serious 
business.  Why,  they  used  to  hang  horse-thieves, 
and  even  now  a  ranchman  wouldn't  hesitate  to 

172 


OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN        173 

thoot  at  a  fellow  who  had  his  horse  and  was  making 
off  with  it.  No,  I  don't  think  Link  would  quite 
dare  to  play  such  a  trick.  But  of  course  we  can 
investigate, — after  we  have  reported  to  Mr.  Encii- 


cott." 


'  You  are  not  going  to  try  to  keep  up  this  dog- 
trot all  the  way  to  the  house,  are  you?  "  questioned 
the  shipowner's  son,  after  about  a  mile  had  been 
covered,  and  when  they  were  passing  over  a  rather 
rough  portion  of  the  trail. 

"Winded?" 

"  Not  exactly,  but  I  shall  be  if  I  keep  this  up," 
panted  Phil.  "  Besides,  I  don't  want  to  tumble 
over  these  tree  roots." 

"  I  wanted  to  get  as  far  as  possible  on  the  way 
before  that  storm  broke,"  went  on  Dave,  glancing 
anxiously  upward,  between  the  branches  of  the 
trees.  "  When  it  comes,  I  rather  think  it  will 
be  a  corker.  I  hope  the  others  reach  that  shack 
before  it  rains." 

"  Oh,  they  ought  to  be  there  by  this  time." 

The  boys  kept  on,  sometimes  running  and  some- 
times dropping  into  a  walk.  As  they  advanced,  the 
sky  kept  growing  steadily  darker,  both  on  account 
of  the  storm  and  because  the  day  was  drawing  to 
a  close. 

"  Here's  the  spot  where  we  passed  Link  and  that 
man  with  him,"  said  Dave,  presently.  "  Wonder 
who  that  fellow  was?  " 


174   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Oh,  some  hand  from  the  Merwell  ranch,  I 
suppose.  He  didn't  seem  to  be  very  sociable.  He 
kept  his  head  turned  away  all  the  time  Link  was 
talking  to  us." 

"  If  he's  from  the  Merwell  place,  they  can't 
have  very  nice  fellows  up  there." 

'*  Well,  who  would  want  to  work  for  a  man 
like  Mr.  Merwell?  He  and  Link  are  just  alike, 
dictatorial  and  mean." 

The  two  boys  kept  on  for  a  short  distance 
further.  Then  Phil  caught  his  foot  in  a  tree  root 
and  went  sprawling. 

"Wow!"  he  spluttered,  as  he  arose.  "Hi, 
Dave,  wait  for  me !  "  he  added,  for  his  chum  had 
continued  on  the  run. 

"What's  wrong?" 

"  I  tripped  and  fell — just  as  I  was  afraid  I'd  do. 
Better  go  slow — unless  you  want  to  break  an  ankle 
or  skin  your  nose." 

i(  The  storm  is  coming,"  said  Dave,  as  he  came 
to  a  stop.  "  Much  hurt?  " 

"  Not  very, — scratched  my  hand,  that's  all. 
Phew !  listen  to  the  wind !  " 

The  sky  overhead  was  black  with  clouds,  but 
to  the  north  and  the  south  were  great  patches  of 
light.  The  wind  was  increasing  steadily. 

"  Maybe  it  will  be  more  wind  than  rain,"  said 
Dave.  "  I  hope  so,  too,  for  I  have  no  fancy  for 
getting  drenched  to  the  skin." 


OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN        175 

"  I  don't  like  a  wind  storm — when  I  am  in  a  big 
woods  like  this,"  answered  the  shipowner's  son. 
"  I  am  always  afraid  a  tree  will  come  down  on 


me." 


"  Well,  we  have  got  to  look  out  for  that — if 
we  can,"  answered  Dave,  gravely.  "  I  don't  like 
it  myself,  but  it  can't  be  helped." 

They  continued  on  their  way.  The  wind  in- 
creased rapidly,  and  soon  it  grew  so  dark  they 
could  see  little  or  nothing  under  the  thickest  of 
the  trees.  They  came  to  an  open  space,  and  there 
the  wind  struck  them  with  great  force,  almost 
hurling  them  flat. 

u  Say,  I  think — we  had — had  better  wait  a — a 
bit!"  panted  Phil,  as  he  clutched  Dave  by  the 
arm. 

"  Let  us  get  over  to  yonder  rocks,"  answered 
Dave.  "  We'll  be  a  little  safer  there  than  between 
the  trees." 

Hand  in  hand  the  chums  crossed  the  glade  and 
made  for  a  series  of  rocks  looming  between  the 
trees  beyond.  The  wind  was  now  blowing  with 
almost  tornado  force,  and  with  it  came  a  few  scat- 
tering drops  of  rain.  Just  as  they  gained  the 
rocks  something  whizzed  past  their  heads. 

"  What  was  that?  "  gasped  Phil,  ducking  after 
the  object  had  passed. 

"  It  was  a  small  tree  limb,"  answered  Dave. 
"  We've  got  to  watch  out.  Hark!  " 


176   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

They  listened,  and  above  the  whistling  of  the 
wind  heard  a  great  crash. 

"  It's  a  tree  being  blown  down !  "  cried  Phil. 
"  Come  on,  let  us  get  between  the  rocks,  before 
something  hits  us  on  the  head!  " 

Much  alarmed,  both  boys  leaped  for  the  shelter 
of  the  rocks,  and  in  the  darkness  felt  their  way 
until  they  reached  a  split  that  was  seven  or  eight 
feet  deep  and  a  foot  wide  at  the  bottom  and  twice 
that  at  the  top. 

"  I  guess  this  is  as  good  a  place  as  any,  Phil,'* 
remarked  Dave,  when  he  had  regained  his  breath 
sufficiently  to  speak. 

"  It  won't  be  much  protection  if  it  rains  hard," 
grumbled  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  that  we  can  do  better." 

"  Neither  do  I." 

Further  conversation  was  cut  off  by  the  wind  and 
the  rain.  The  former  shrieked  and  whistled 
through  the  woods,  sending  down  branch  after 
branch  with  tremendous  crashes  that  awed  the  boys 
completely.  The  rain  was  light,  but  the  drops 
were  large  and  hit  them  with  stinging  force. 

For  fully  half  an  hour  the  blow  continued,  and 
then  it  appeared  to  let  up  and  the  rain  stopped 
entirely. 

"Shall  we  go  on?"  questioned  Phil,  standing 
up  and  trying  to  pierce  the  darkness  around  them. 

"  Better  hold  up  a  while,  Phil,"  answered  Dave. 


OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN        177 

"  This  is  as  safe  a  spot  as  any,  with  the  wind 
blowing  down  the  trees  all  around  us." 

They  waited,  and  it  was  well  that  they  did  so, 
for  presently  the  wind  started  to  whistle  once 
more,  growing  louder  and  louder.  A  small  tree 
branch  came  down  on  them,  and  then  came  a  crash 
that  made  them  both  jump. 

"It's  coming  this  way!"  yelled  Phil.  "The 
tree  behind  the  rocks !  " 

"Get  down!"  cried  Dave,  and  threw  himself 
flat. 

Both  boys  crouched  as  low  as  possible.  They 
heard  the  tree  bend  and  crack.  Then  came  a  tre- 
mendous crash,  and  they  felt  one  of  the  rocks 
moving. 

"  Maybe  we'll  be  crushed  to  a  jelly!  "  groaned 
the  shipowner's  son. 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  an  instant 
later  the  tree  came  down,  directly  over  the  top  of 
the  opening.  Several  small  branches  thrust  them- 
selves down  upon  the  lads,  pinning  them  to  the 
bottom  of  the  crevice.  The  rocks  trembled,  and 
for  the  moment  the  boys  were  afraid  they  would 
be  crushed  to  death,  as  Phil  had  intimated. 

"Safe,  Phil?"  asked  Dave,  as  the  rocking  of 
the  stones  and  the  big  tree  ceased  and  the  wind 
seemed  to  die  down  once  more. 

"  I — I  guess  so !  A  tree  limb  is  on  my  back, 
though." 


178   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  I've  got  one  across  my  legs." 

With  caution  both  boys  crawled  from  beneath 
the  branches  and  out  of  the  split  in  the  rocks. 
They  could  see  where  the  big  tree  had  been  up- 
rooted, leaving  a  hole  in  the  soil  fifteen  feet  in 
diameter.  The  top  of  the  tree  was  all  of  a  hundred 
feet  away  from  this  hole. 

"  We  were  lucky  to  be  between  the  rocks,  Phil," 
said  Dave,  with  a  grave  shake  of  his  head. 
"  Otherwise,  if  that  tree  had  come  down  on 
us " 

"  We  wouldn't  be  here  to  tell  the  tale,"  finished 
the  shipowner's  son.  "  Ugh  I  it  makes  me  shiver 
to  look  at  it." 

"  Now  it  is  down,  we  may  as  well  get  between 
the  rocks  until  we  are  sure  this  blow  is  over," 
went  on  Dave,  after  standing  several  minutes  in 
the  rain. 

This  appeared  the  best  thing  to  do,  and  they 
crawled  back  into  the  crevice  and  partly  under 
the  tree.  Here  the  thick  branches  protected  the 
lads,  so  that  but  little  rain  reached  them. 

A  dismal  hour  went  by,  and  then  the  storm 
came  to  an  end.  The  wind  died  down  into 
a  gentle  breeze  and  the  rain  was  reduced  to  a 
few  scattering  drops,  to  which  they  paid  no 
attention. 

"  If  only  that  wind  didn't  blow  the  shack  down 
on  the  other  folks'  heads,"  said  Dave.  He  was 


OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN        179 

thinking  of  how  frightened  the  girls,  and  especially 
Jessie,  must  have  been. 

"  I'll  wager  the  trail  is  now  a  mass  of  mud  and 
water,"  said  Phil,  and  he  was  right,  and  as  they 
progressed,  they  frequently  got  into  the  mud  up 
to  their  ankles. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  when  they  gained  the  edge 
of  the  woods  and  came  out  on  the  plains.  The  sky 
was  still  overcast,  only  a  few  stars  being  faintly 
visible. 

"  Are  you  sure  of  the  right  direction,  Dave?  " 
asked  the  shipowner's  son,  as  both  paused  to  look 
around. 

"  I  think  this  is  the  trail,  Phil,  don't  you?  "  and 
Dave  pointed  with  his  finger  to  a  deep  rut  in  the 
soil. 

"Yes.  But  that  doesn't  make  it  right,"  and 
Phil  gazed  around  in  some  perplexity. 

14  What  do  you  mean?  This  is  the  only  trail 
around  here." 

"  So  I  see.  But,  somehow,  this  edge  of  the 
woods  doesn't  look  familiar  to  me.  I  thought  we 
entered  at  a  point  where  I  saw  a  clump  of  four 
trees  on  the  left." 

"  Hum !  I  rather  think  I  saw  those  trees  my- 
self," mused  Dave.  "  But  I  don't  see  them  now." 

"  Neither  do  I,  and  that  makes  me  think  that 
perhaps  we  came  out  of  the  woods  at  the  wrong 
spot." 


180   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Much  perplexed,  the  two  lads  walked  around 
the  edge  of  the  woods  for  a  considerable  distance. 
But  they  saw  nothing  of  any  other  trail  and  so 
came  back  to  the  point  from  which  they  had  started. 

"  This  must  be  right,  after  all,"  was  Phil's 
comment.  "  Anyway,  it's  the  only  trail  here,  so 
we  may  as  well  follow  it." 

They  hurried  on,  the  halt  under  the  rocks  having 
rested  them  a  good  deal.  Out  on  the  prairie  the 
trail  grew  a  bit  drier,  for  which  they  were  thank- 
ful. They  got  into  their  dog-trot  once  more,  and 
thus  covered  all  of  two  miles  in  a  short  space  of 
time.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  both  came  to  a  halt 
in  dismay. 

"  Which  one?  "  asked  Phil,  laconically. 

"  Don't  know,"  was  Dave's  equally  laconic  an- 
swer. 

Before  them  the  trail  branched  out  in  three 
different  directions,  like  three  spokes  within  the 
right  angle  of  a  wheel. 

"  This  is  a  regular  Chinese  puzzle,"  said  Dave, 
after  an  inspection  of  the  trails.  "  The  one  to 
the  right  looks  to  be  the  most  traveled." 

The  two  boys  made  every  possible  effort  to  pierce 
the  darkness  ahead  of  them,  and  presently  Phil 
fancied  he  saw  a  light  in  the  distance.  Dave  was 
not  sure  if  it  was  a  light  or  a  star  just  showing 
above  the  clearing  horizon. 

"  Well,  we  may  as  well  go  ahead,"  said  the 


OUT  IN  THE  WIND  AND  RAIN        18* 

shipowner's  son.  "  No  use  in  staying  here  trying 
to  figure  it  out." 

They  went  on,  taking  the  center  one  of  the  three 
trails.  They  had  covered  less  than  quarter  of  a 
mile  when  Phil  gave  a  shout. 

"  It  is  a  light,  I  am  sure  of  it — the  light  of  a 
lamp  or  lantern!  Hurrah!  we  must  be  on  the 
right  trail  after  all !" 

"  Go  slow,  Phil,"  cried  Dave,  a  sudden  thought 
striking  him.  u  That  may  not  be  a  ranch  light." 

«  Yes,  but " 

"  It  may  be  something  much  worse — for  us." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  It  may  be  the  light  from  the  camp  of  the 
horse-thieves." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH 

PHIL  stared  at  Dave  in  consternation. 

"  Do  you  really  think  that?  "  he  cried. 

"  I  don't  say  I  think  so,  I  only  say  it  may  be," 
returned  the  youth  from  Crumville. 

"  If  they  are  the  horse-thieves,  and  we  watch  our 
chances,  we  may  get  the  animals  back !  " 

"  Not  unless  it  is  a  single  thief,  Phil.  We  don't 
want  to  run  the  risk  of  getting  shot  in  the  dark." 

"  That's  true." 

With  great  caution  the  two  lads  advanced  along 
the  muddy  trail.  As  they  got  closer  to  the  light 
they  saw  that  it  came  from  a  log  house,  low  and 
rambling.  Not  far  away  were  several  other  build- 
ings, and  also  a  corral. 

"  We  are  on  the  right  trail  after  all !  "  sang  out 
the  shipowner's  son,  joyfully,  and  commenced  to 
run  at  the  best  speed  he  could  command. 

"Hold  on!"  called  Dave,  but  Phil  was  so 
eager  to  get  to  the  house  first  that  he  paid  no 
attention  to  the  words.  Not  until  he  had  reached 
the  very  piazza  of  the  building  did  he  pause  to 
stare  around  him. 

182 


A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH  183 

"  Why,  it's  not  Mr.  Endicott's  place  at  all !  " 
he  exclaimed. 

He  had  made  considerable  noise  ascending  the 
piazza,  and  now  a  door  was  flung  open,  letting  a 
stream  of  light  flood  his  face,  momentarily  blind- 
ing him. 

"  Hello!  what  do  you  want?  "  demanded  a  man 
Phil  had  never  seen  before. 

"  Why — er — what  place  is  this?"  stammered 
the  youth,  and  as  he  asked  the  question  Dave  came 
up  behind  him. 

"  This  is  the  Triple  X  Ranch,"  was  the  man's 
answer. 

"What!  Mr.  MerwelPs  place?"  stammered 
Phil. 

"  That's  it.  Want  to  see  him?  Why,  say, 
you're  all  out  of  wind, — anything  wrong?  " 

"  I — I  didn't  know  this  was  the  Merwell  place," 
murmured  Phil.  He  knew  not  what  else  to  say, 
he  was  so  taken  back. 

"  Who  is  that,  Jerry?  "  asked  another  voice,  and 
a  moment  later  Felix  Merwell  stepped  into  view. 
As  he  saw  Dave  he  scowled  slightly. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Merwell,  we — er "  commenced 

Phil,  and  then  he  looked  at  Dave. 

'  We  were  out  and  we  lost  our  way  in  the  dark- 
ness and  got  on  the  wrong  trail,"  said  Dave, 
quickly.  "  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  direct  us 
to  the  trail  to  Mr.  Endicott's  ranch  ?  " 


1 84   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Endicott's  ranch  is  a  good  bit  from  here," 
growled  Felix  Merwell. 

"  But,  Dave "  interrupted  Phil,  when  a 

meaning  look  from  his  chum  silenced  him. 

"  Haven't  you  got  no  hosses?  "  asked  the  man 
who  had  first  come  to  the  door. 

"  No,  but  we  don't  mind  that,"  said  Dave. 
"  We  can  walk." 

"  Jerry,  show  them  the  trail,"  said  Mr.  Mer- 
well, shortly,  and  turned  his  back  on  the  boys. 

The  ranch  hand  came  out  without  waiting  to 
get  his  hat  or  coat,  and  walked  to  a  point  back 
of  the  corral. 

"  It's  a  long,  lonely  way,"  he  said,  kindly. 
"  You  ought  to  have  horses." 

"  How  many  miles?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  About  one  and  a  half." 

"  Oh,  that  is  not  so  far." 

"  Got  caught  in  the  storm,  eh?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Link  is  out  too  and  the  old  man  is  kind  of 
worried  about  him.  He  sent  Hank  Snogger  out  to 
look  for  him." 

"  Then  Link  didn't  come  back  this  afternoon?  " 
said  Dave,  quickly. 

"  No,  he's  been  out  since  early  morning.  You 
met  him,  eh?  " 

"  Yes,  but  that  was  about  the  middle  of  the 
forenoon.  He  was  over  in  the  woods." 


A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH  185 

"  It  was  such  a  blow  the  old  man  is  worried, 
thinking  Link  might  have  got  caught  under  a 
tree  in  the  woods,  or  something  like  that.  There's 
your  trail.  Keep  to  that  and  it  will  take  you  right 
to  the  Endicott  corral." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  both  boys,  and  a  moment 
later  they  and  the  man  had  separated.  The  ranch 
hand  watched  them  out  of  sight,  then  returned  to 
the  house. 

"  Dave,  why  didn't  you  tell  them  about  the 
horse-thieves?  "  asked  Phil,  as  soon  as  he  deemed 
it  safe  to  ask  the  question. 

"  I  didn't  want  to  ask  any  favors  of  Mr.  Mer- 
well,  that's  why,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  don't  be- 
lieve he'd  want  to  go  after  them,  and  I  didn't  want 
to  borrow  any  horses  from  him." 

"  Well,  I  don't  blame  you  for  looking  at  it 
that  way.  But  we  may  be  losing  valuable 
time." 

"  We  ought  to  be  able  to  reach  Mr.  Endicott's 
place  inside  of  twenty  minutes.  Come  on,"  and 
Dave  increased  his  speed. 

"Did  you  note  the  fact  that  Link  has  not  yet 
returned?  "  said  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  Yes,  but  that  doesn't  prove  anything.  He 
may  have  crept  into  some  place  for  shelter  from 
the  storm,  just  as  we  did." 

The  two  youths  kept  on  steadily  and  before  long 
saw  another  light  in  the  distance.  Then  they 


1 86   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

heard  hoofbeats,  and  soon  several  forms  on  horse- 
back loomed  out  of  the  darkness. 

"  Hello!"  sang  out  the  voice  of  Sid  Todd. 
"Who  are  you?" 

"  Todd!  "  called  Dave,  and  a  moment  later  the 
cowboy  rode  up,  followed  by  another  ranch  hand 
and  Mr.  Endicott. 

"What  is  wrong?"  demanded  the  railroad 
president,  quickly.  "  Where  are  the  others?  "  and 
his  face  showed  his  extreme  anxiety. 

"  The  others  are  safe,  so  far  as  we  know,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  But  we  have  had  quite  an  ad- 
venture." And  then  he  and  Phil  told  of  how  the 
horses  had  been  stolen,  and  of  how  they  themselves 
had  been  caught  in  the  woods  during  the  great  blow. 

"  The  horse-thieves  again !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  End- 
icott, wrathfully.  "  We  must  get  after  them  this 
time  and  run  them  down!  Todd,  tell  the  other 
men  at  once!  We  must  lose  no  time  in  getting 
after  them !  And  send  word  around  to  the  other 
ranches !  " 

The  railroad  president  smiled  grimly  when  the 
boys  told  him  of  the  brief  stop  at  the  Merwell 
place. 

"  I  don't  blame  you  for  not  wanting  aid  from 
Mr.  Merwell,"  said  he.  "  I  want  to  leave  him 
alone  myself.  I  am  only  sorry  I  have  him  for  a 
neighbor.  I'd  help  him  to  sell  out,  if  he  wished 
to  do  so." 


A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH  187 

The  boys  went  to  the  house  and  were  speedily 
given  something  to  eat, — for  they  had  had  nothing 
since  noon.  They  also  donned  some  dry  clothing. 

u  It  won't  do  any  good  for  you  to  go  out  again," 
said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  I'll  go  out,  and  so  will 
most  of  the  hands.  You  can  remain  here  with 
Mrs.  Endicott,  who  is  very  nervous  because  of  the 
storm  and  the  absence  of  Belle." 

"As  you  think  best,  sir,"  answered  Dave;  and 
so  it  was  arranged.  Truth  to  tell,  both  Dave  and 
Phil  were  glad  to  rest,  for  the  long  walk  and  the 
experience  in  the  woods  during  the  storm  had 
tired  them  greatly.  Each  threw  himself  on  a 
couch,  and  almost  before  he  knew  it  was  sound 
asleep. 

When  the  two  boys  awoke  it  was  morning. 
They  found  that  Mrs.  Endicott  had  covered  them 
up  with  light  blankets.  A  sound  outside  had 
aroused  them. 

It  was  the  other  young  people  returning,  on 
horses  Sid  Todd  had  taken  to  them.  Dave  and 
Phil  sprang  up  to  meet  them. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  to  get  back!  "  cried  Belle, 
as  she  ran  to  embrace  her  mother.  "  Such  a  time 
as  we  have  had!  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  were  safe  enough,  after  we  got 
to  the  shack,"  said  Laura,  in  answer  to  a  question 
from  her  brother.  "  But,  oh,  how  it  did  blow!  " 

"  We  were  afraid  the  shack  would  be  carried 


1 88   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

right  up  into  the  air,"  said  Jessie.  "  And  we  were 
so  worried  about  you — thinking  a  tree  in  the  woods 
would  come  down  on  you." 

"  Well,  one  did,  pretty  nearly/'  answered  Dave, 
and  gave  the  particulars. 

"  The  men  have  all  gone  off  after  the  horse- 
thieves,"  said  Roger.  "  But  Todd  hasn't  much 
hope  of  tracing  them,  for  the  rain  washed  out  all 
the  hoofmarks." 

The  newcomers  were  tremendously  hungry,  and 
a  hearty  meal  was  gotten  ready  with  all  the  speed 
of  which  the  Chinese  cook  was  capable.  As  they 
ate,  the  boys  and  girls  told  the  details  of  their  ex- 
perience at  the  shack  up  the  river. 

"  Did  you  see  anything  more  of  Link  or  that 
man  with  him?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  No,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  We've 
been  wondering  if  they  had  anything  to  do  with 
the  disappearance  of  the  horses." 

"  We  have  been  wondering  the  same  thing," 
said  Phil. 

"  I  spoke  to  papa  about  it,  and  he  says  he  will 
interview  Mr.  Merwell — if  they  get  no  trace  of 
the  thieves,"  said  the  ranch  owner's  daughter. 

Those  who  had  been  at  the  shack  all  night  were 
so  tired  that  they  went  to  bed  directly  after  eating, 
and  Dave  and  Phil  were  glad  enough  to  rest  some 
more;  so  that  the  balance  of  the  day  passed  quietly. 
It  was  not  until  after  sundown  that  Mr.  Endicott 


A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH  189 

showed  himself,  followed  by  about  half  of  the 
ranch  hands. 

"  We  thought  we  found  the  trail,  but  we  lost 
it  again,"  said  the  ranch  owner.  "  Todd  and  some 
of  the  others  are  still  at  it,  but  I  am  afraid  the 
thieves  are  out  of  our  reach.  I  have  sent  word 
to  the  sheriff,  and  I  suppose  he'll  put  some  men  on 
the  trail  to-morrow." 

"  Did  you  stop  at  the  Merwell  ranch?"  asked 
Belle. 

"  Yes,  I  stopped  there  less  than  an  hour  ago. 
Mr.  Merwell  had  just  come  in  from  a  hunt  for 
Link." 

"  What !  then  Link  isn't  back  yet?  "  cried  Dave. 

"  No,  and  his  father  was  a  good  deal  worried 
about  his  absence.  When  I  told  about  the 
loss  of  the  horses,  Mr.  Merwell  was  worried  more 
yet.  He  said  we  needn't  think  that  his  son  touched 
them." 

"  It  is  queer  where  Link  is  keeping  himself," 
mused  Roger. 

"  That's  true — unless  he  was  hurt  by  the  storm," 
answered  Phil. 

"  Have  you  any  idea  who  these  horse-thieves 
are?"  asked  Dave. 

'  We  have  a  general  idea,  yes,"  answered  Mr. 
Endicott.  "  The  gang  who  took  the  other  animals 
was  led  by  a  bold  cowboy  named  Andy  Andrews. 
Andrews  is  a  thoroughly  bad  egg,  and  there  had 


igo   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

been  a  reward  offered  for  his  capture  for  several 
years.  More  than  likely  this  raid  was  made  by 
him  or  under  his  directions." 

"  Then  I  sincerely  hope  they  round  up  this  Andy 
Andrews,"  remarked  Dave. 

"  So  do  I — and  that  we  get  our  horses  back." 

The  night  and  the  next  day  passed  quietly. 
When  it  grew  dark  Sid  Todd  came  in,  followed 
by  several  of  the  ranch  hands.  The  look  on  the 
foreman's  face  showed  that  he  had  had  no  success 
in  his  hunt. 

"  We  got  the  trail  once,  but  lost  it  ag'in,"  said 
the  cowboy.  "  The  sheriff  has  got  a  posse  of 
six  men  working  on  the  trail  now, — but  I  don't 
think  they'll  make  anything  out  of  it."  And  then 
he  told  the  story  of  how  the  woods  had  been 
scoured,  and  of  a  hunt  along  the  river  and  over 
the  plains.  The  men  had  ridden  many  miles  and 
were  all  but  exhausted. 

"  Did  you  see  anybody  from  the  Merwell 
ranch?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  Saw  Link  and  his  father  just  as  we  were  com- 
ing home,"  answered  Sid  Todd.  "  Merwell  said 
he  had  seen  nothing  of  the  thieves." 

"  Did  Link  say  anything?  " 

"  No.  He  was  dead  tired  and  he  looked 
scared." 

"Scared?"  queried  Roger. 

"  Yes.     When  he  saw  me  I  thought  he  was 


A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH  191 

going  to  run  away.  I  asked  him  if  he  had  seen 
anything,  and  when  he  answered  me  his  face  went 
almost  white.  I  reckon  he  was  scared — thinking 
of  the  way  he  treated  you  folks  on  the  trail. 
Maybe  he  thought  I  was  goin'  to  pitch  into  him 
for  it." 

"Maybe,"  said  Dave,  slowly.  "He  hadn't 
seen  anything  of  the  thieves?  " 

"  No.  He  said  he  didn't  know  the  bosses  was 
gone  until  his  father  told  him.  He  said  he  got 
lost  in  the  woods,  and  stayed  in  a  certain  spot  till 
the  blow  was  over." 

"  Humph !  "  murmured  Dave,  and  there  the  talk 
came  to  an  end.  But  Dave  was  not  satisfied.  He 
still  wondered  if  Link  Merwell  knew  anything 
about  the  taking  of  the  horses. 


CHAPTER  XX 

FISHING  AND  HUNTING 

THE  remainder  of  the  week  went  by,  and  the 
boys  and  girls  amused  themselves  as  best  they 
could.  During  that  time,  Mr.  Endicott  received 
a  visit  from  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  and  Dave 
and  his  chums  were  called  upon  to  tell  all  they 
could  about  the  missing  horses.  Then,  after  some 
whispered  talk  between  the  county  official  and  the 
ranch  owner,  the  lads  were  requested  to  describe 
the  man  who  had  been  seen  on  the  trail  in  company 
with  Link  Merwell. 

u  I  really  think  the  fellow  was  Andy  Andrews," 
said  the  sheriff.  "  But  if  so,  he  had  a  big  nerve 
to  show  himself  in  these  parts." 

"  Didn't  you  ask  Link  about  the  man?  "  asked 
Dave. 

"  Yes.  He  says  the  fellow  was  a  stranger  to 
him,  and  they  were  just  riding  together  for  com- 
pany. He  says  they  were  together  about  half  an 
hour  before  he  met  you  on  the  trail,  and  that  the 
fellow  left  him  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later 
and  headed  in  the  direction  of  the  railroad  station. 
He  said  the  fellow  didn't  give  any  name,  but  said 

192 


FISHING  AND  HUNTING  193 

he  was  looking  up  some  ranch  properties  for  some 
Chicago  capitalists." 

This  was  all  the  sheriff  could  tell,  and  on  that 
the  matter,  for  the  time  being,  rested.  Fortu- 
nately, Star  Ranch  possessed  a  good  number  of 
horses,  so  none  of  the  young  folks  were  deprived 
of  mounts.  But  Belle  mourned  the  loss  of  her 
favorite  steed,  to  which  she  had  become  greatly 
attached. 

"  I  don't  care  so  much  for  the  others,  but  I  do 
hope  papa  gets  back  Lady  Alice/'  she  said,  dole- 
fully. 

A  spell  of  bad  weather  kept  the  young  folks 
indoors  for  the  time  being,  and  one  day  they  were 
reminded  by  a  cowboy  of  the  entertainment  they 
had  promised. 

"  As  soon  as  it  clears,  we'll  give  you  an  exhibi- 
tion of  fancy  ridin',"  said  the  cowboy.  "  But  jest 
now  the  boys  are  dyin'  fer  some  good  singin'  an' 
music,  and  such." 

Dave  and  the  others  got  their  heads  together, 
and  the  upshot  of  the  matter  was  that  an  enter- 
tainment was  arranged,  to  be  given  in  the  big  din- 
ing-hall  of  the  ranch  house.  One  end  of  this  room 
was  elevated  to  form  a  stage,  with  big  portieres 
for  curtains,  and  Roger,  Phil,  and  Dave  rehearsed 
several  of  the  "  turns  "  they  had  done  at  various 
times  at  Oak  Hall.  The  girls  practiced  a  number 
of  songs,  and  Laura  and  the  senator's  son  decided 


194   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

to  give  a  dialogue,  which  they  called  "  Which  Mr. 
Brown  Lives  Here?" 

Word  was  passed  around  about  the  coming  en- 
tertainment, and  it  was  announced  that  it  would 
be  for  the  benefit  of  an  old  lady,  the  mother  of 
a  cowboy  who  had  been  killed  in  a  cattle  stampede 
the  season  before.  The  tickets  were  placed  at 
one  dollar  each,  the  entire  proceeds  to  go  to  the 
old  lady.  This  charity  appealed  to  the  cowboys, 
and  every  one  on  the  place  took  a  ticket,  and  then 
got  the  cowboys  from  neighboring  ranches  to 
do  likewise. 

"  We'll  have  to  let  some  of  them  sit  on  the 
veranda  and  look  in  through  the  windows,"  said 
Mrs.  Endu:ott,  when  she  heard  how  many  tickets 
had  been  sold.  "  The  room  won't  hold  half  of 
them." 

"  If  we  have  to,  we'll  give  a  double  perform- 
ance," said  Dave.  "  We  want  everybody  to  get 
his  money's  worth."  And  then  it  was  arranged 
that  tickets  should  be  good  for  either  the  "  mat- 
inee "  or  the  night  performance. 

The  first  performance  was  given  in  the  after- 
noon and  lasted  from  three  to  half-past  five  o'clock. 
Every  number  on  the  programme  went  off  without 
a  hitch,  and  the  cowboys  applauded  uproariously. 
During  the  intermission  one  cowboy  got  up  very 
gravely  and  marched  to  the  stage,  where  he  de- 
posited a  round  Indian  basket. 


FISHING  AND  HUNTING  195 

"  Fer  extra  contributions,  boys !  "  he  sang  out, 
loudly.  "  Don't  be  tight  when  thar's  an  old  lady 
to  help!  "  And  he  dropped  two  silver  dollars  in 
the  basket.  At  once  the  other  cowboys  sprang 
up  and  marched  to  the  front,  and  a  steady  stream 
of  silver  poured  into  the  basket,  much  to  the  delight 
of  everybody. 

"  Financially,  this  is  going  to  be  a  great  success," 
said  Dave,  his  face  beaming.  "  I  only  hope  they 
really  like  the  show." 

"  They  do,  or  they  would  soon  let  you  know," 
answered  Belle.  "  A  cowboy  isn't  so  polite  as  to 
make  believe  he  likes  a  thing  when  he  doesn't." 

The  evening  crowd  was  even  larger  than  that 
which  had  gathered  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  seat- 
ing capacity  of  the  dining-room  and  the  veranda 
near  the  windows  was  taxed  to  its  utmost.  The 
boys  and  girls  started  in  to  give  exactly  the  same 
show  as  during  the  afternoon,  and  the  first  part 
went  off  very  well.  The  Indian  basket  was  again 
brought  into  play,  and  once  more  a  shower  of  silver 
was  poured  into  it. 

"  Mrs.  Chambers  will  be  more  than  delighted," 
said  Belle. 

"  How  much  money  do  you  think  we  will  have 
for  her?  "  asked  Jessie. 

"  Oh,  ticket  money  and  extra  contributions,  at 
least  two  hundred  dollars.  It  will  be  a  splendid 
aid  to  the  old  lady." 


196   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

During  the  first  part  of  the  evening's  entertain- 
ment, Dave  had  been  much  surprised  to  note  the 
entrance  of  Hank  Snogger,  accompanied  by  two 
other  cowboys  from  the  Merwell  ranch.  Snogger 
looked  a  bit  sheepish,  as  if  realizing  that  he  was 
out  of  his  element.  The  other  two  cowboys  were 
rough  and  hard-looking  men,  and  had  evidently 
been  drinking. 

"  I  didn't  think  we'd  have  anybody  here  from 
the  Merwell  place,"  whispered  Phil. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  some  of  our  cowboys  sold 
them  the  tickets,"  answered  Dave.  "  I  certainly 
didn't  think  that  fellow,  Snogger,  would  show  him- 
self." 

"  The  men  with  him  are  pretty  loud,"  said 
Roger.  "  I  hope  they  don't  try  to  break  up  the 
show." 

The  second  half  of  the  entertainment  was  in 
full  swing  when  one  of  the  men  with  Snogger  com- 
menced to  laugh  uproariously.  His  companion 
joined  in,  and  both  made  such  a  noise  that  not  a 
word  spoken  on  the  stage  could  be  heard  by  the 
rest  of  the  audience. 

"  Say,  keep  quiet  there !  "  called  out  Sid  Todd, 
who  was  acting  as  a  sort  of  usher. 

The  two  cowboys  paid  no  attention  to  this  re- 
quest, but  continued  to  laugh,  and  presently  one 
of  them  joined  in  the  chorus  of  one  of  the  songs 
the  girls  and  boys  were  rendering.  He  sang  badly 


FISHING  AND  HUNTING  197 

out  of  tune,  and  made  such  a  discord  that  the 
song  had  to  come  to  a  stop. 

"  Go  on!     Go  on!  "  he  yelled,  loudly. 

"Whoop  her  up,  everybody!"  called  his  com- 
panion. "  All  join  in  the  glad  refrain!"  And 
he  started  to  sing  in  a  heavy,  liquor-laden  voice. 

"  You  shut  up  or  git  out!"  cried  Sid  Todd, 
striding  forward. 

"  They  don't  mean  no  harm,"  put  in  Hank 
Snogger,  but  he  did  not  speak  in  positive  tones. 

"  You  keep  out  of  this,  Snogger,"  answered 
Todd,  coldly.  "  Those  men  have  got  to  behave 
themselves  or  git  out.  I  said  it,  an'  I  mean 
it." 

"  That's  right — put  'em  out !  "  shouted  several. 

"  Ain't  we  got  a  right  to  laff  ?  "  demanded  one 
of  the  cowboys  who  were  making  the  disturbance. 

"  Yes,  but  not  so  as  to  drown  everything  else," 
answered  Sid  Todd.  "  An'  you  can't  sing." 

"  We  come  here  fer  some  fun,"  said  the  other 
cowboy  from  the  Merwell  ranch.  u  An'  we  are 
going  to  have  it.  Whoop  her  up,  everybody!" 
And  he  commenced  to  sing  once  more. 

There  were  cries  from  all  sides,  and  for  a 
minute  it  looked  as  if  the  entertainment  would  end 
in  a  general  row.  But  then  Sid  Todd  gave  a  signal 
to  some  of  the  other  Endicott  hands,  and  in  a 
twinkling  the  two  boisterous  cowboys  were  grabbed 
and  hustled  from  the  house.  One  tried  to  draw 


198   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

his  pistol,  but  was  given  a  blow  in  the  face  that 
all  but  sent  him  flat. 

'  You  brought  those  fellows  over  here — you  take 
'em  away — an'  mighty  quick,  too,"  said  Sid  Todd 
to  Hank  Snogger.  And  he  gave  the  other  cowboy 
such  a  black  look  that  Snogger  sneaked  out  of  the 
house  in  a  hurry.  Outside,  the  three  men  were 
surrounded  by  a  dozen  of  the  Endicott  hands,  and 
they  were  forced  to  mount  their  horses  and  ride 
away;  and  that  was  the  last  seen  of  them  for  the 
time  being. 

The  interruption  made  Laura  and  Jessie  so 
nervous  that  they  could  not  sing  any  more,  so  the 
programme  had  to  be  changed.  Dave  thought  of 
a  funny  monologue  Shadow  Hamilton  had  once 
given  at  Oak  Hall,  and  he  gave  this,  as  far  as 
he  could  remember  it,  and  put  in  a  few  stories 
that  were  new.  The  youth  worked  hard,  and  the 
cowboys  applauded  him  vigorously  when  he  had 
finished,  and  soon  the  unpleasant  incident  was  prac- 
tically forgotten.  When  the  show  was  over,  the 
cowboys  all  said  it  was  the  finest  thing  they  had 
ever  seen  outside  of  a  city  theater. 

"  Worth  the  money,"  said  one  old  cowboy. 
"  An'  I'd  go  ag'in  to-morrow  night,  ef  I  could." 
Entertainments  in  that  locality  were  rare,  and  the 
show  was  a  grand  treat  to  all. 

"  Oh,  but  those  men  who  laughed  and  sang  were 
horrid!  "  said  Laura.  "  And  I  was  so  afraid  they 


FISHING  AND  HUNTING  199 

would  start  to  shoot,  I  didn't  know  how  to  control 
myself!" 

"  I  believe  they  came  over  here  on  purpose  to 
spoil  the  entertainment,"  said  Phil. 

"  But  why  should  they  do  that?  "  asked  Jessie, 
innocently. 

"  More  than  likely  Link  Merwell  got  them  to 
do  it,"  answered  Roger.  "  It  would  be  of  a  piece 
with  his  meanness." 

"  I  believe  they  were  brought  over  by  that  Hank 
Snogger,"  said  the  shipowner's  son. 

1  Yes,  but  I  think  Snogger  is  in  some  way  under 
Link's  thumb,"  put  in  Dave.  "  Anyway,  the  two 
seem  to  have  a  good  deal  in  common." 

'  Well,  it  was  a  mean  piece  of  business,"  said 
Belle.  "  Oh,  I  do  wish  the  Merwells  would  sell 
out  to  some  nice  people!  It  would  be  splendid 
to  have  real  good  neighbors." 

On  the  following  Monday  the  boys  went  fishing 
"  on  their  own  hook,"  as  Phil  expressed  it,  although 
Jessie  said  he  had  better  say  "  hooks,"  since  they 
proposed  to  use  several  of  them.  The  boys  rode 
over  to  the  river  and  took  with  them  their  shot- 
guns. While  fishing  they  kept  their  horses  in 
sight  and  their  firearms  ready  for  use,  and  had 
any  horse-thieves  shown  themselves  they  would 
have  met  with  a  hot  reception.  Fishing  proved 
good,  and  inside  of  three  hours  they  had  all  the 
fish  on  their  strings  that  they  cared  to  carry. 


200   DAVE  PORTER  ATI  STAR  RANCH 

"  Let  us  ride  up  the  river  a  bit,"  suggested 
Phil,  after  they  had  eaten  their  lunch.  "  I'd  like 
to  look  at  the  country,  and  it  is  possible  we  may 
be  able  to  stir  up  some  game." 

As  it  was  a  clear  day,  the  others  agreed,  and 
soon  they  were  riding  slowly  along  a  trail  which 
wound  in  and  out  among  the  rocks  bordering  the 
stream.  They  passed  the  shack  which  Roger  and 
the  girls  had  used  as  a  shelter  from  the  storm,  and 
then  reached  an  open  spot.  Beyond  was  a  high 
hill,  covered  with  a  primeval  forest. 

"  There  ought  to  be  some  game  in  that 
woods,"  said  Dave,  as  they  continued  to  move 
forward. 

"  If  the  cowboys  haven't  shot  everything  worth 
shooting,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  There 
used  to  be  good  hunting  in  Maine  and  in  Upper 
New  York  State,  but  you  have  got  to  tramp  a  good 
many  miles  these  days  before  you  catch  sight  of 
anything  worth  while." 

After  a  ride  in  the  sun  it  was  cool  and  pleasing 
in  the  forest,  and  they  took  their  time  riding  under 
the  great  trees,  some  of  which  must  have  been 
fifty  to  a  hundred  years  old.  They  saw  a  number 
of  birds  flitting  about,  but  did  not  attempt  to  bring 
any  down. 

"  If  we  want  any  big  game  we  must  keep  quiet," 
said  Dave,  and  after  that  they  moved  along  with- 
out speaking,  and  with  their  eyes  and  ears  on  the 


FISHING  AND  HUNTING  201 

alert  for  the  first  sign  of  something  worth  shoot- 
ing. 

Presently  Dave  held  up  his  hand  and  all  came 
to  a  halt.  Not  far  away  could  be  heard  a  curious 
drumming  sound. 

"  What's  that?  "  whispered  Phil. 

"  Sounds  like  grouse/'  answered  Dave.  "  They 
drum  like  that  sometimes.  They  must  be  over  in 
the  trees  yonder.  Let  us  dismount  and  see." 

The  others  were  willing,  and  leaving  their  horses 
tied  to  the  trees,  the  three  boys  crept  forward 
to  the  spot  from  which  the  drumming  proceeded. 
They  came  up  abreast,  and  soon  all  caught  sight 
of  a  number  of  grouse  of  the  sharp-tailed  variety, 
huddled  in  a  little  opening  among  the  bushes. 

"  Get  ready  and  fire  when  I  give  the  word," 
whispered  Dave,  and  a  few  seconds  later  all  three 
of  the  chums  blazed  away  simultaneously.  There 
was  a  fluttering  and  more  drumming,  and  several 
grouse  thrashed  the  ground. 

"  Hurrah!  we've  got  four!  "  cried  Roger,  rush- 
ing forward. 

"  And  this  one  makes  five !  "  said  Phil,  and  dis- 
patched one  that  was  fluttering  around.  Then 
Dave  killed  a  sixth,  and  by  that  time  the  rest  of 
the  game  was  out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES 

THE  bringing  down  of  the  grouse  filled  the  boys 
with  satisfaction,  and  they  inspected  the  game  with 
much  interest. 

1  They'll  make  fine  eating/'  declared  Roger. 

"  Let  us  see  if  we  can't  get  some  more,"  pleaded 
Phil.  The  "  fever  "  of  hunting  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  him. 

14  We'll  not  find  much  in  this  neighborhood,'* 
said  Dave.  "  But  I  am  willing  to  go  a  little 
further,"  he  added,  seeing  how  disappointed  the 
shipowner's  son  looked. 

Placing  the  game  over  their  shoulders,  they  re- 
loaded their  weapons  and  continued  on  through  the 
forest,  taking  a  trail  that  seemed  to  have  been 
made  by  wild  animals.  Twice  they  had  to  cross  a 
winding  brook,  and  at  the  second  fording-place 
Dave,  who  was  in  the  rear,  called  a  halt. 

"What  do  you  want?"  questioned  Roger,  as 
he  and  Phil  turned  back. 

"  I  want  you  to  look  at  these  hoofmarks,"  an- 
swered Dave,  and  he  pointed  up  the  stream  a  short 
distance. 

202 


A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES     203 

All  passed  to  the  locality  indicated,  and  each 
youth  looked  at  the  hoofmarks  with  interest.  They 
were  made  by  a  number  of  horses,  probably  six 
or  eight,  and  though  the  marks  were  washed  a 
little,  as  if  by  rain,  they  could  still  be  plainly 
seen. 

"  Do  you  think  they  were  made  by  the  horses 
that  were  stolen,  Dave?  "  questioned  Phil. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think." 

"  The  horse-thieves  might  easily  have  come  this 
way,"  said  the  senator's  son.  "  They  would  be 
more  apt  to  go  away  from  the  ranch  than  towards 
it." 

"  Maybe  they  stopped  here  during  the  big  blow," 
said  Phil. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  for  here  are  marks 
where  the  animals  were  tied  to  trees,"  went  on 
Dave.  "  I  wonder — well,  I  declare !  " 

Dave  stopped  short  and  picked  up  a  bit  of  a 
leather  halter  lying  on  the  ground.  It  was  of 
curious  Mexican  design,  having  a  light  leather 
thong  entwined  in  a  dark  one. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  have  ever  seen  a  halter 
like  that  before,"  mused  Roger,  as  he  took  the  bit 
of  halter  from  Dave,  and  then  passed  it  to  Phil. 

"  I  have,"  answered  Dave. 

"  So  have  I !  "  cried  the  shipowner's  son. 
"  Link  Merwell's  horse  had  one  on,  the  day  we 
met  on  the  trail !  " 


204   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Just  what  I  was  going  to  say,"  added  Dave. 
"  I  noticed  it  particularly." 

:*  Then  this  must  belong  to  Link,"  came  from 
the  senator's  son. 

"  Perhaps  not,"  answered  Dave,  slowly. 
1  There  may  be  other  such  halters  around.  We'll 
have  to  give  Link  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,  you 
know." 

"  See  here !  "  burst  out  Phil.  "  You  may  think 
as  you  please,  but  I  have  always  thought  that 
Link  had  something  to  do  with  the  taking  of  our 
horses." 

"  Do  you  think  he  would  deliberately  steal  six 
horses,  Phil?" 

"  Well,  maybe  not  deliberately  steal  them,  but 
— but — I  think  he  took  them,  anyhow." 

"  He  may  have  taken  them  intending  to  drive 
them  to  our  ranch,  and  perhaps  the  horses  got 
away  from  him  in  the  storm,"  suggested  Roger. 

;<  That  may  be  true — it  would  be  just  like  one 
of  Link's  mean  tricks,"  answered  Dave. 

"  I  think  we  ought  to  tax  him  with  it,"  said 
Phil. 

"  He'd  deny  it  point-blank  if  you  did,"  returned 
the  senator's  son.  "  This  bit  of  halter  is  no  proof 
against  him.  No,  you'd  only  get  into  hot  water 
if  you  accused  him  without  proofs." 

"  What  Roger  says  is  true,"  declared  Dave. 
"  We'll  not  say  a  word  against  Link,  or  accuse 


A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES     205 

him,  until  we  have  some  good  proof  that  he  is 
guilty." 

Taking  the  bit  of  halter  with  them,  the  three 
chums  continued  on  their  way  along  the  trail. 
They  covered  another  quarter  of  a  mile,  but  saw 
no  game  excepting  some  birds  on  which  they  did 
not  care  to  waste  powder  and  shot. 

"  We'll  have  to  go  back,  I  suppose,"  said  Phil, 
with  a  sigh.  u  Gracious,  I  wish  we'd  see  a  bear, 
or  something!  " 

"  How  would  an  elephant  and  a  few  lions  do?  " 
quizzed  Roger,  with  a  grin. 

"  Or  a  couple  of  man-eating  tigers, "  suggested 
Dave. 

"  I  don't  care !  You  can  make  fun  if  you  want 
to,  but  I  came  out  to  this  ranch  to  have  some 
hunting,"  said  Phil,  stubbornly.  "  I'm  going  to 
the  mountains  and  get  something  worth  while  some 
day." 

"  So  are  we  all  going,  Phil,"  answered  Dave, 
quickly.  "  I  want  to  bring  down  some  big  game 
just  as  much  as  you  do." 

"  Sid  Todd  said  he'd  take  us,"  said  Roger. 
"  We'll  make  him  keep  his  word." 

They  took  a  look  around  the  locality  where  they 
were  standing,  and  then  turned  back  to  where 
they  had  left  their  horses.  They  were  still  some 
distance  from  the  animals  when  they  heard  one 
of  the  steeds  give  a  sudden  snort  of  alarm.  Look- 


206   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

ing  through  the  trees,  they  saw  Phil's  horse  leap 
and  plunge,  and  then  the  others  did  likewise,  as 
if  trying  to  break  from  their  halters. 

"  Something  is  wrong !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Come 
on,  before  the  horses  break  away !  " 

"  Something  has  scared  them,"  put  in  Roger. 
"  Keep  your  guns  ready  for  a  shot.  It  may  be 
a  bear!" 

"  No  such  luck!  "  declared  Phil.  Nevertheless, 
he  swung  his  shotgun  into  position  for  firing,  and 
his  chums  did  likewise. 

As  the  boys  entered  the  opening  where  the 
horses  were  tied,  Dave  caught  sight  of  what  was 
causing  the  disturbance.  Out  on  the  branch  of 
a  tree,  directly  over  the  animals,  was  a  chunky  and 
powerful  looking  wildcat,  commonly  called  in  that 
section  of  the  country  a  bobcat.  Its  eyes  were 
gleaming  wickedly,  its  teeth  were  exposed,  and  it 
acted  as  if  ready  to  leap  at  the  throat  of  one  of 
the  horses. 

"Look!"  cried  Dave,  and  then,  as  quickly  as 
he  could,  he  leveled  his  shotgun,  took  aim,  and 
fired.  The  report  of  the  firearm  was  followed  by 
a  blood-curdling  cry  from  the  wildcat,  and  down 
from  the  tree  limb  it  tumbled,  to  roll  over  and 
over  on  the  ground  between  the  horses. 

"  Oh,  what  a  savage  beast!  "  gasped  Phil,  and 
for  the  instant  he  was  so  taken  aback  that  he  did 
not  know  what  to  do. 


A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES    207 

"  He'll  drive  the  horses  crazy!  "  shouted  Roger. 
"  Oh,  if  I  could  only  get  a  shot  at  him !  " 

What  the  senator's  son  said  about  the  horses 
was  true.  The  wildcat  had  been  badly,  but  not 
mortally,  wounded,  and  now  it  was  rolling  and 
twisting  on  the  ground,  sending  the  dirt  and  leaves 
flying  in  all  directions.  The  steeds  were  in  a  panic, 
and  leaped  and  plunged  hither  and  thither,  doing 
their  best  to  break  away. 

"  I  should  have  waited  until  we  all  had  the 
chance  to  shoot,"  said  Dave.  "  If  I  can  catch 
my  horse " 

He  got  no  further,  for  just  then  Roger,  seeing 
a  chance,  rushed  in  between  two  of  the  steeds  and 
pulled  both  triggers  of  his  shotgun  in  quick  suc- 
cession. His  aim  was  true,  and,  hit  in  the  side, 
the  wildcat  rolled  over  and  then  started  to  crawl 
back  into  some  bushes. 

"  He  is  going!  "shouted  Dave. 

"  I  must  have  a  shot !  "  put  in  Phil,  recovering 
somewhat,  and  now  he  blazed  away.  When  the 
smoke  rolled  off,  the  boys  saw  that  the  wildcat 
had  disappeared. 

"  Where  is  he?" 

"  He  went  into  yonder  bushes!" 

"  Is  he  dead,  do  you  think?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     Be  careful,  or  he  may  leap 


out  at  us." 


Such  were  some  of  the  remarks  made  as  the 


208   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

three  boys  reloaded,  in  the  meantime  keeping  their 
eyes  on  the  spot  where  the  wildcat  had  last  been 
seen.  The  horses  were  still  plunging,  but  gradu- 
ally they  quieted  down. 

"  I  am  going  to  see  if  the  wildcat  is  really 
dead,"  said  Dave,  boldly.  "  Even  if  he's  alive,  I 
don't  think  there  is  much  fight  left  in  him." 

"  You  be  careful !  "  warned  Phil.  "  A  wounded 
beast  is  always  extra  savage.  He  may  fly  at  your 
throat,  and  then  it  will  be  all  up  with  you." 

"  I  guess  we  plugged  him  pretty  well,"  said 
Roger. 

With  great  caution  Dave  approached  the  bushes 
into  which  the  wildcat  had  disappeared,  and  rather 
gingerly  his  chums  followed  him.  They  could 
see  a  trail  of  blood,  which  led  to  the  bottom  of 
a  hollow  between  some  rocks.  Here  they  beheld 
the  wildcat,  stretched  out  on  its  side. 

"  Dead  as  a  stone !  "  announced  Dave,  after  a 
brief  examination. 

"  Are  you  sure?  "  questioned  Phil.  "  He  may 
be  shamming — some  wild  beasts  do,  you  know." 

"  No,  he's  dead, — you  can  see  for  yourself." 

"What  shall  we  do  with  him?"  questioned 
Roger,  after  all  were  convinced  that  the  wildcat 
was  really  dead.  "  He  isn't  good  for  much." 

"  We  could  keep  the  skin — or  have  him  stuffed," 
suggested  Phil. 

"  Let  us  take  him  back  to  the  ranch — so  that 


A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES    209 

the  folks  can  see  we  really  killed  him,"  said  Dave. 
"  Then  we  might  have  him  stuffed  and  sent  to 
Oak  Hall,  to  put  in  the  museum." 

"Just  the  thing!"  cried  the  senator's  son. 
"  That  will  please  Doctor  Clay,  I  am  sure." 

They  dragged  the  wildcat  out  into  the  open,  and 
laid  it  where  the  horses  might  see  that  it  was  dead. 
As  soon  as  they  were  aware  of  this,  the  steeds 
quieted  down  completely,  and  the  boys  had  no  more 
trouble  with  them.  Dave  and  Phil  carried  the 
grouse  and  the  fish,  and  Roger  slung  the  wildcat 
up  behind  his  saddle,  and  then  off  they  set  for 
Star  Ranch  at  a  gallop. 

"  Here  come  the  fishermen !  "  cried  Laura,  who 
was  out  in  front  of  the  ranch  house.  "  I  hope  you 
had  luck!" 

"  We  did,"  answered  Dave,  gayly.  "  How  is 
that?  "  and  he  held  up  a  string  of  fish. 

"Splendid,  Dave!" 

"And  how  is  that?"  he  went  on,  holding  up 
two  of  the  grouse. 

"  I  declare,  some  game,  too !  Why,  you've  had 
good  luck,  haven't  you !  " 

"Let  me  see!"  said  Belle,  as  she  appeared, 
followed  by  Jessie. 

"And  how  is  this?"  asked  Phil,  showing  his 
fish  and  the  rest  of  the  game. 

"  Oh,  how  grand!  "  murmured  Belle. 

"What  is  that  Roger  has?  "  questioned  Jessie. 


210   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  A  wildcat !  "  cried  the  senator's  son,  and,  leap- 
ing down,  he  brought  the  dead  beast  into  full  view. 
All  the  girls  shrieked,  and  Jessie  started  to  run 
back  into  the  house.  Hearing  the  commotion, 
Mrs.  Endicott  appeared,  and  then  her  husband. 

"  A  bobcat!  "  cried  the  railroad  president.  "  I 
didn't  know  there  were  any  near  this  place.  A 
big  fellow,  too,"  he  added,  as  he  inspected  the 
animal. 

"  Did  you  shoot  him,  Roger?  "  asked  Laura. 

"  We  all  had  a  hand  in  it,"  answered  the  sen- 
ator's son.  "  Dave  gave  him  the  first  dose  of 
shot,  and  then  Phil  and  I  got  in  our  work.  It 
was  a  hard  job  to  kill  him,  I  can  tell  you,"  and 
then  Roger  told  of  how  the  wounded  beast  had 
fallen  down  among  the  horses. 

"  You  can  be  thankful  your  horses  didn't  get 
away,"  said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  I  knew  of  a  horse 
once  that  was  scared  by  a  bear  and  he  ran  several 
miles,  and  wasn't  caught  until  the  next  day." 

"  Oh,  Dave,  weren't  you  scared  when  you  saw 
him  on  the  tree?"  whispered  Jessie.  She  felt 
proud  to  think  her  hero  had  been  the  first  to  shoot 
at  the  beast. 

"  I  didn't  give  myself  time  to  get  scared,"  he 
answered.  "  I  just  fired  as  quickly  as  I  could." 

"  But  supposing  the  wildcat  had  jumped  on 
you !  "  And  the  girl  shivered  and  caught  him  by 
the  arm. 


A  WILDCAT  AMONG  THE  HORSES    211 

"  I  should  have  defended  myself  as  best  I  could, 
Jessie." 

4  You — you  mustn't  take  such  risks,"  the  pretty 
girl  whispered,  and  looked  wistfully  into  Dave's 
eyes.  "  I— I  can't  stand  it,  Dave!"  And  then 
she  blushed  and  turned  her  face  away. 

"  I'll  be  very  careful  after  this,  Jessie — for  your 
sake,"  he  answered,  softly  and  tenderly. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


COWBOY  TRICKS  AND  "  BRONCO-BUSTING  " 


"  You  boys  sure  did  have  a  day  of  sport,"  said 
Sid  Todd,  after  he  had  inspected  the  fish,  the 
grouse,  and  the  wildcat.  "  And  youVe  proved 
that  you  can  shoot,"  he  added,  nodding  toward  the 
slain  beast.  "  I've  known  many  a  putty  good 
hunter  to  get  the  shakes  when  he  see  a  bobcat 
a-glarin'  at  him  from  a  tree.  It  ain't  no  tender 
sight,  is  it  now?  " 

"  Not  much !  "  answered  Phil,  warmly.  He  had 
been  as  close  to  getting  the  "  shakes  "  as  any  one 
of  the  three.  "  I  was  glad  when  I  knew  he  was 
dead." 

"  Something  about  a  bobcat  I  don't  like,"  went 
on  the  cowboy.  "  We  used  to  hunt  'em — when 
they  got  after  the  sheep  some  years  ago.  Once 
one  of  'em  jest  about  got  me  by  the  throat,  an'  I 
ain't  forgitting  it!  I'd  rather  face  a  bear,  I 
think." 

"  You  mustn't  forget  that  you  are  to  take  us 
to  the  mountains  on  a  hunting  expedition,"  came 
from  Roger.  "  We  want  to  get  some  deer,  or  an 
elk,  before  we  go  back  East." 

212 


COWBOY  TRICKS  213 

"  I'll  take  you — don't  worry/'  answered  the  cow- 
boy. 

The  news  soon  spread  around  the  ranch  that  the 
"  tenderfeet  "  had  killed  a  big  bobcat,  and  all  the 
hands  came  to  get  a  look  at  the  beast.  They 
praised  the  boys,  and  said  they  must  be  nervy 
hunters  or  they  could  not  have  done  it.  Of  course 
the  lads  were  correspondingly  proud,  and  who  can 
blame  them?  The  animal  was  prepared  for  stuff- 
ing, and  then  sent  off  by  express  to  a  taxidermist 
in  the  city. 

After  talking  the  matter  over  among  themselves, 
the  boys  decided  to  tell  Mr.  Endicott  about  the 
piece  of  Mexican  halter  they  had  picked  up.  He 
listened  gravely  to  what  they  had  to  say,  and 
looked  at  the  bit  of  leather  curiously. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  is  not  much  in  the  way  of  evi- 
dence," said  he.  "  But  I'll  remember  it,  and 
we'll  have  to  watch  Link  Merwell — that  is,  as 
well  as  we  can.  There  would  be  no  gain  in  speak- 
ing to  Mr.  Merwell,  it  would  only  stir  up  the 
bad  feeling  that  already  exists.  I  understand  that 
he  has  had  an  offer  for  his  ranch  from  somebody 
in  the  East,  and  I  trust  he  sells  out  and  moves 
somewhere  else." 

"  So  do  I,"  echoed  Dave,  heartily.  "  Some 
place  where  none  of  us  will  ever  hear  of  him  or  his 
son  again." 

Two  days  after  the  shooting  of  the  wildcat,  Sid 


2i4   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Todd  announced  that  the  cowboys  of  Star  Ranch 
and  Hooper  Ranch,  up  the  river,  were  going  to 
hold  a  contest  in  "  bronco-busting  "  and  in  fancy 
riding.  All  the  young  folks  were  invited  to  be 
present  and  a  little  stand  was  to  be  erected,  from 
which  they  might  view  what  was  going  on  in 
comfort. 

"  Hurrah!  that  suits  me!  "  cried  Dave.  "  I've 
been  wanting  to  see  them  break  in  a  real  bronco. " 

"  And  I  want  to  see  some  of  their  fancy  riding," 
added  the  senator's  son.  "  It  will  be  a  real  Wild 
West  show." 

"  And  no  fifty  cents  admission,  either,1'  said 
Phil,  with  a  grin. 

"  I  hope  nobody  gets  hurt,"  said  Jessie,  timidly. 

"  Oh,  they  are  generally  more  careful  than  you 
think,"  answered  Mr.  Endicott. 

"But  bronco-busting  is  dangerous,  isn't  it?" 
questioned  Laura. 

"  Yes, — for  anybody  who  has  had  no  experience. 
But  Todd  and  some  of  the  others  can  saddle  and 
ride  any  pony  in  these  parts." 

All  went  out  to  the  stretch  of  plain  where 
the  contest  was  to  take  place.  The  little  stand 
was  there,  true  enough,  and  to  the  four  corners 
were  nailed  four  flags — two  of  the  Stars  and 
Stripes,  and  one  each  of  the  two  ranches,  that 
of  the  Endicotts  having  a  blue  field  with  the 
words,  Star  Ranch,  in  white. 


COWBOY  TRICKS  215 

The  word  had  been  passed  around  for  a  good 
many  miles,  and  consequently  a  crowd  numbering 
over  a  hundred  had  assembled  on  the  field,  includ- 
ing half  a  dozen  ladies  and  several  children.  The 
cowboys  were  out  "  on  parade,"  as  Mr.  Endicott 
expressed  it,  and  each  wore  his  best  riding  outfit, 
and  had  his  horse  and  trappings  "  slicked  up  "  to 
the  last  degree.  All  wore  their  largest  Mexican 
sombreros,  and,  taken  together,  they  formed  a  truly 
picturesque  assemblage. 

"  Puts  me  in  mind  of  gypsies,"  said  Laura. 
"  Only  they  haven't  their  wives  and  children  with 
them." 

"  And  they  aren't  telling  fortunes,"  added  Jessie. 

The  sport  began  with  some  fancy  riding  in  which 
eight  of  the  cowboys,  four  from  each  ranch,  par- 
ticipated. The  cowboys  would  ride  like  the  wind 
and  leap  off  and  on  their  steeds,  turn  from  front- 
wards to  backwards,  slide  from  the  saddle  under 
their  horses'  necks  and  up  into  the  saddle  again, 
and  lean  low  to  catch  up  handkerchiefs  and 
hats  left  on  the  grass  for  that  purpose.  Then 
they  did  some  fancy  vaulting,  over  bars  and 
brushwoocl,  and  while  riding  two  and  even  four 
horses. 

"Good!  good!"  shouted  Dave.  "Isn't  that 
fine !  " 

"  Best  I  ever  saw!  "  answered  Roger,  and  every- 
body in  the  crowd  applauded  vigorously. 


216   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

After  the  fancy  riding  came  some  shooting 
while  in  the  saddle,  both  at  stationary  objects  and 
at  things  sprung  into  the  air  from  a  trap.  The 
repeated  crack!  crack!  crack!  of  the  pistols  and 
rifles  scared  some  of  the  girls  a  little,  but  the  boys 
enjoyed  the  spectacle  thoroughly,  and  marveled  at 
some  of  the  shots  made. 

"  Game  wouldn't  stand  much  chance  with  those 
chaps,"  remarked  Dave.  "  They  could  hit  a 
running  deer  or  a  flying  bird  without  half 
trying." 

The  shooting  at  an  end,  the  cowboys  brought 
out  their  best  lassoes  and  showed  what  could  be 
done  in  landing  the  circlets  over  running  steers  and 
horses.  Here  Sid  Todd  was  in  his  element,  and 
the  way  he  managed  his  lasso,  one  of  extra  length 
at  that,  brought  out  tremendous  applause. 

"  He  is  the  best  lasso-thrower  in  these  parts," 
said  Mr.  Endicott.  u  No  one  can  compare  with 
him." 

"Well,  he  is  a  good  shot,  too,"  said  Dave. 
"  And  he  rides  well  also." 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  good  all-around  fellow/'  answered 
the  ranch  owner.  "  I  am  mighty  glad  I  have  him, 
— and  I  am  glad  I  got  rid  of  that  Hank  Snogger," 
he  added. 

"  Are  any  of  the  men  from  the  Merwell  ranch 
here?" 

"  No,  I  warned  them  to  keep  away — after  that 


COWBOY  TRICKS  217 

trouble  we  had  at  your  entertainment, — and  Mr. 
Hooper,  the  owner  of  the  other  ranch, — told  them 
to  keep  away,  too.  Some  of  those  fellows  drink, 
and  if  they  got  to  quarreling  there  might  be  some 
shooting,  and  then  there  would  be  no  telling  where 
the  thing  would  end.  I  made  up  my  mind  I'd 
take  no  chances." 

The  u  bronco-busting,"  as  it  is  called,  was  re- 
served for  after  lunch.  Several  wild-looking 
ponies  were  tethered  at  a  distance,  and  it  was  the 
task  of  those  who  proposed  to  do  the  "  busting  " 
to  take  a  saddle,  fasten  it  on  a  pony,  and  then  get 
up  and  ride  around  the  field  at  least  twice.  The 
ponies  were  unbroken,  and  of  the  sort  usually 
designated  as  vicious  and  unreliable. 

It  was  truly  a  thrilling  exhibition  and  one  the 
boys,  and  the  girls,  too,  for  the  matter  of  that, 
never  forgot.  As  soon  as  a  bronco  was  approached 
he  would  begin  to  plunge  and  kick,  and  to  get 
a  saddle  on  him  was  all  but  impossible.  Then, 
if  at  last  he  was  saddled,  and  the  cowboy  who 
had  been  successful  got  in  the  seat,  the  pony  would 
leap  and  plunge  some  more,  sometimes  going 
straight  up  into  the  air  and  coming  down  with 
legs  as  stiff  as  posts.  Then,  if  this  did  not  throw 
the  cowboy  off,  the  pony  would  start  to  run,  only 
to  stop  short  suddenly,  in  the  hope  of  sending  the 
rider  over  his  head. 

"  Oh,    somebody    will    be    killed!"    screamed 


2i8   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Jessie,  and  often  turned  her  face  away  to  shut  out 
the  sight.  "  Oh,  why  do  they  do  such  dreadful 
things?  "  she  added. 

'*  They've  got  to  break  the  ponies  somehow," 
answered  Dave.  "  Those  broncos  will  be  all  right 
after  they  get  used  to  it." 

"  Say,  do  you  know,  I'd  like  to  try  that,"  re- 
marked Roger.  "  I  think  I  could  sit  on  one  of 
those  ponies,  if  he  had  the  saddle  on." 

"  I  think  I  could  do  it,  too,"  added  Dave. 

"  Oh,  Dave!  "  exclaimed  his  sister,  while  Jessie 
gave  a  little  shriek  of  horror. 

"  It's  not  as  bad  as  it  looks — after  the  pony  is 
saddled,"  answered  Dave. 

"  We'll  try  it  to-morrow — on  the  quiet,"  whis- 
pered Roger. 

After  the  "  busting  "  of  the  broncos  had  come 
to  an  end,  there  was  a  two-mile  race,  for  a  first 
and  a  second  prize,  put  up  by  the  two  ranch  owners. 
In  this  race  nine  of  the  cowboys  started,  amid  a 
wild  yelling  and  the  cracking  of  numerous  pistols, 
— for  the  average  cowboy  is  not  enjoying  himself 
unless  he  can  make  a  noise. 

"  They  are  off !  "  yelled  Phil. 

"  Yes,  and  see  them  go !  "  added  Dave. 

"  I'll  bet  our  ranch  wins !  "  came  from  Roger. 

"What  will  you  bet?"  asked  Belle,  mischie- 
vously. 

"  A  box  of  candy  against  a  cream  pie." 


COWBOY  TRICKS  219 

"  That's  fair, — but  I  can't  bet  against  our 
ranch,"  answered  Belle,  gayly. 

On  and  on  thundered  the  horses  across  the  plains, 
to  a  spot  a  mile  distant.  At  first  three  of  the 
cowboys  from  the  other  ranch  were  in  the  lead, 
and  their  followers  cheered  them  loudly. 

"Oh,  we  are  going  to  lose!  "  said  Belle,  with 
a  pout,  as  the  leaders  in  the  race  started  on  the 
return. 

"  No !  no !  "  answered  Dave.  "  See,  Sid  Todd 
is  coming  to  the  front." 

"  Yes,  and  Yates  is  crawling  up,  too,"  added 
Phil. 

Nearer  and  nearer  to  the  finish  line  swept  the 
cowboys,  those  in  the  rear  doing  their  best  to 
forge  ahead.  Now  Sid  Todd,  Yates,  and  two 
cowboys  from  the  Hooper  ranch  were  neck-and- 
neck. 

"  It  will  be  a  tie,"  murmured  Laura. 

"No,  Todd  is  gaining!"  cried  Mr.  Endicott, 
who  was  as  much  excited  as  anybody.  "  See,  he 
and  Hooper's  man  are  now  ahead!  " 

"Here  they  come,  on  the  homestretch!"  was 
the  general  cry. 

On  and  on  thundered  the  horses,  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  finishing  line.  When  the  leaders 
were  less  than  fifty  yards  off  Sid  Todd  made  a 
spurt. 

"Here  comes  Todd !" 


220   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Todd  wins !     Todd  wins !  " 

"  Galpey  is  second!  " 

"Yes,  and  Yates  is  third!" 

"  Say,  that's  riding  for  you !  "  And  so  the  cries 
rang  out.  Sid  Todd  had  indeed  won,  and  all  of 
his  friends  from  Star  Ranch  congratulated  him. 
The  second  prize  went  to  the  cowboy  from  the 
Hooper  ranch.  Yates  got  nothing,  but  was  con- 
tent to  know  that  he  had  come  in  third  and  only 
five  yards  behind  the  leader. 

"  Well,  that  certainly  was  an  entertainment 
worth  looking  at,"  said  Dave,  when  it  was  over, 
and  they  were  returning  to  the  ranch  house. 

"  I've  never  been  so  stirred  up,"  answered 
Roger.  "  But,  say,  I  am  going  to  try  one  of 
those  broncos  to-morrow,"  he  added. 

"  Not  for  me!  "  said  Phil.  "  I  value  my  neck 
too  much." 

"  What  about  you,  Dave?  "  And  the  senator's 
son  looked  anxiously  at  the  Crumville  lad. 

"  Well,  I'll  see,"  answered  Dave.  He  was  not 
afraid  to  try  riding  a  bronco,  but  he  did  not  wish 
to  worry  Jessie  and  his  sister. 

"  You  are  not  afraid,  are  you?  " 

"  No." 

"  Well,  I  am  not  afraid,  either,"  came  quickly 
from  Phil,  and  his  face  grew  red.  "  You  needn't 
think " 

"  Oh,  don't  get  mad,  Phil;  I  didn't  mean  any- 


COWBOY  TRICKS  221 

thing,"  interposed  Roger.  "  If  you  don't  care  to 
try  it,  you  don't  have  to." 

"  But  you  needn't  insinuate  that  I " 

"  I  am  not  insinuating  anything,  Phil.  I  merely 
wanted  to  know  if  Dave  will  try  riding  with  me, 
that's  all." 

"  Well,  I — er — I  know  what  you  think.  And  if 
you  try  this  bronco-busting  business,  why — I'll  try 
it  too,  so  there!  "  answered  Phil,  defiantly. 

At  the  house  the  talk  was  entirely  of  the  things 
they  had  seen.  Jessie  was  rather  glad  it  was  over, 
for  rough  things  made  her  somewhat  afraid.  Belle 
was  enthusiastic  and  said  she  had  once  tried 
"  bronco-busting  "  herself. 

"  But  I  didn't  do  much,"  she  said.  "  The  pony 
started  to  run  and  then  stopped  suddenly,  and  I 
went  over  his  head  into  a  stack  of  hay.  I  was  glad 
the  hay  was  there,  otherwise  I  might  have  broken 
some  of  my  bones." 

"  It  is  dangerous  sport  at  the  best,"  said  Mrs. 
Endicott.  "  But  the  cowboys  feel  that  the  ponies 
must  be  broken  in,  and  there  is  no  other  way  to 
do  it" 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

DAVE   ON  A   BRONCO 

DAVE  had  his  doubts  about  doing  any  "  bronco- 
busting  "  on  his  own  account,  but  he  did  not  say 
anything  to  Roger  and  Phil  about  it.  He  was  not 
afraid,  but  he  knew  Jessie  would  be  greatly  wor- 
ried if  he  attempted  anything  dangerous. 

However,  his  chums  got  him  up  early  the  follow- 
ing morning,  and,  directly  after  breakfast,  Roger 
led  the  way  down  to  the  corral. 

"  I  am  going  to  try  it,  even  if  you  are  not," 
said  the  senator's  son,  and  insisted  upon  it  that 
one  of  the  unbroken  ponies  be  brought  forward. 
The  saddle  was  adjusted  by  Sid  Todd,  who  held 
the  animal  while  Roger  leaped  into  the  saddle. 

The  experience  was  not  as  exciting  as  had  been 
anticipated,  for  the  reason  that  the  animal  chosen 
by  Todd  was  somewhat  tame.  The  cowboy  was 
attached  to  the  boys,  and  did  not  wish  to  see  any 
of  them  run  the  risk  of  breaking  his  neck. 

After  Roger  came  Phil,  and  he  was  timid  enough 
to  ask  for  a  horse  "  that  didn't  look  as  if  he 
wanted  to  eat  somebody  up."  Phil  had  more  of 

222 


DAVE  ON  A  BRONCO  223 

a  time  of  it  than  Roger,  but  managed  to  keep  in 
the  saddle  and  ride  around  the  corral  several 
times. 

"  It's  not  so  hard  as  I  supposed,"  said  the  ship- 
owner's son,  as  he  leaped  to  the  ground,  and  the 
pony,  freed  of  the  saddle,  galloped  off.  "  I 
thought  I'd  be  half-killed." 

"  Those  ponies  were  not  so  wild  as  those  used 
yesterday,"  answered  Dave.  "  Not  but  that  they 
were  bad  enough,"  he  continued,  with  a  smile. 

Sid  Todd  had  remained  to  hold  the  pony  ridden 
by  Phil  and  had  then  been  called  away  to  attend 
to  some  business  at  another  part  of  the  ranch.  He 
had  told  Yates  to  help  the  boys. 

Now,  as  it  happened,  Yates  was  full  of  fun  and 
always  up  to  practical  jokes.  It  had  disgusted  him 
to  see  Todd  bring  out  such  comparatively  safe 
ponies  as  those  ridden  by  Roger  and  Phil.  He 
had  been  told  to  bring  out  a  certain  animal  for 
Dave,  but  instead  led  forth  a  bronco  that  was 
as  wild  and  fiery  as  any  used  the  day  previous. 

"  If  he  rides  that  beast,  he's  a  good  one,"  Yates 
murmured  to  himself,  and  then  he  beckoned  to  some 
other  cowboys  to  watch  the  fun.  Half  a  dozen 
quit  work  to  draw  closer,  each  with  a  broad  grin 
on  his  sunburnt  face.  They  expected  to  see  Dave 
get  the  shaking-up  of  his  life  and  felt  positive  he 
would  not  be  able  to  stay  on  the  bronco's  back 
two  minutes. 


224   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  He  certainly  is  a  wild  one,"  said  Dave,  as  he 
advanced  and  eyed  the  pony. 

"  Oh,  he's  no  worse  than  the  others,"  answered 
Yates,  smoothly,  and  then  he  rolled  his  eyes  and 
winked  at  the  other  cowboys. 

Dave  looked  critically  at  the  saddle  and  saw 
to  it  that  it  was  properly  buckled.  Then  he  flung 
his  cap  to  Roger. 

"  Say,  Dave,  that  pony  looks  half-crazy,"  said 
Phil.  "  You  be  careful." 

"  He  certainly  does  look  wild,"  added  Roger. 

"  Well,  I'm  going  to  ride  him  anyway — or  know 
the  reason  why!  "  cried  Dave,  and  a  look  of  strong 
determination  came  into  his  face.  "  Get  around 
there !  "  he  called  sharply  to  the  pony,  and  then, 
with  a  quick  leap,  he  gained  the  saddle  and  dug 
his  knees  into  the  pony's  sides.  "  Let  him  go!  " 

Yates  released  his  hold  and  everybody  in  the 
crowd  backed  away.  For  a  moment  the  bronco 
stood  stock-still,  his  eyes  gazing  straight  ahead. 
Then  he  gave  a  vigorous  shake  and  took  a  few 
steps  forward. 

"Hurrah!  see  him  ride!"  shouted  Yates,  and 
winked  again  at  the  other  cowboys,  who  grinned 
more  than  ever. 

Five  steps  forward  and  the  bronco  halted. 
Then  up  in  the  air  he  went,  a  distance  of  six  or 
eight  feet.  He  came  down  "  on  all  fours,"  good 
and  hard,  and  had  Dave  been  resting  in  the  saddle 


DAVE  ON  A  BRONCO  225 

he  would  have  had  the  wind  knocked  out  of  him 
completely.  But  the  youth  was  standing  in  the 
stirrups,  and  he  allowed  his  body  to  spring  with 
that  of  the  animal  he  hoped  to  conquer. 

Three  times  the  bronco  tried  this  trick,  and  the 
third  time  Dave  came  close  to  falling  off.  Then 
the  bronco  gave  a  dart  forward,  like  an  arrow 
from  a  bow. 

"  There  he  goes !  "  yelled  the  senator's  son,  but 
the  words  were  not  yet  out  of  his  mouth  when 
the  bronco  stopped  short.  Dave  slid  to  the  ani- 
mal's neck,  but  there  he  clung,  his  face  pale  and 
determined,  and  his  teeth  set. 

"  Hi !  hi !  what's  this !  "  shouted  a  voice,  and, 
turning,  the  crowd  saw  Sid  Todd  approaching  on 
the  run.  "  Yates,  what  do  you  mean  by  letting 
him  git  up  on  that  critter?"  he  demanded,  in- 
dignantly. 

"  Ain't  that  the  bronco  you  wanted  him  to  try?  " 
asked  the  other  cowboy,  innocently. 

"  No — an'  you  know  it  1  "  stormed  Todd.  "  Do 
you  want  him  to  break  his  neck?  Hi,  Dave,  jump 
down!  You  can't  tame  that  beast,  nohow!  " 

"  I— I'm  all — ri — right!  "  jerked  out  Dave,  be- 
tween his  teeth.  "  Ke — keep  away,"  he  added, 
as  Todd  came  closer,  to  lend  his  assistance. 

"  He's  a  bad  one,  boy — one  o'  the  worst  on 
the  ranch.  Yates  had  no  call  to  offer  him  to  you." 

"  Ke — keep  away,"  was  all  Dave  replied.     He 


226   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

could  not  say  more,  for  the  bronco  claimed  all  his 
attention. 

"  Yates,  if  that  boy  is  hurt,  you'll  have  an  ac- 
count to  settle  with  me,"  said  Sid  Todd,  and  shook 
his  fist  at  the  other  cowboy. 

"  I — er — I  was  sure  you  wanted  me  to  bring 
out  that  beast  fer  him,"  murmured  Yates,  uneasily. 
He  was  sorry  now  that  he  had  played  the  trick 
on  Dave. 

The  bronco  had  taken  another  run,  coming  to  as 
sudden  a  halt  as  before.  Dave  slid  up  almost  to 
the  animal's  ears,  but  still  clung  on,  and  quickly 
regained  his  seat  in  the  saddle.  Then,  without 
warning,  the  pony  dropped  to  the  ground  and 
started  to  roll  over. 

"Look  out!  you'll  have  your  leg  broken!" 
yelled  Phil.  But  Dave  was  on  his  guard,  and,  as 
the  pony  dropped,  he  leaped  away  to  safety. 
Then,  as  the  animal  arose  once  more,  the  youth 
grabbed  the  saddle  and  vaulted  into  the  seat. 

"  Say,  that's  goin'  some,  I  tell  you !  "  roared 
one  of  the  cowboys  in  delight.  "  He  ain't  givin' 
in  yet,  he  ain't  I  " 

"  Look  out  that  he  don't  bang  you  into  a  fence, 
or  one  of  the  buildings !  "  yelled  Sid  Todd.  He 
was  alarmed,  yet  delighted  at  the  manner  in  which 
Dave  clung  to  his  difficult  and  dangerous  under- 
taking. 

With  Dave  once  more  on  his  back,  the  pony  tried 


DAVE  ON  A  BRONCO  227 

new  tactics.  Around  and  around  he  went  in  a  circle, 
sending  the  dust  of  the  corral  flying  in  all  direc- 
tions. Then,  like  lightning,  he  reversed,  nearly 
breaking  his  own  neck,  and  causing  Dave  to  slip 
far  down  on  the  outer  side.  But  the  youth  hung 
to  the  saddle,  and,  leaning  forward,  slapped  the 
bronco  a  smart  crack  on  the  neck.  This  he  fol- 
lowed up  with  a  blow  on  the  head. 

The  effect  was  just  what  the  boy  desired.  The 
pony  forgot  all  his  tricks,  and  leaping  high  into 
the  air,  he  shot  off  like  a  streak  toward  the  corral 
gate.  Once  outside,  he  headed  for  the  open  plains, 
going  with  the  speed  of  a  racer  on  the  track. 

"  They're  off !  "  cried  Roger. 

"  Don't  let  him  throw  you !  "  yelled  Todd. 

"  Can't  we  ride  after  'em?  "  queried  Phil. 

"  Sure  we  can  ride  after  'em,"  responded  Todd. 
"  An'  we  better  do  it,  too,  fer  there  ain't  no  tellin' 
what  that  pony  will  do  to  Dave,"  he  added, 
anxiously,  and  with  a  black  look  at  Yates,  which 
made  the  other  cowboy  cast  his  eyes  to  the  ground. 

On  and  on  sped  the  bronco,  with  Dave  sitting 
firmly  in  the  saddle.  So  long  as  the  pony  kept 
going,  the  lad  felt  he  had  nothing  to  fear.  But 
he  was  on  the  alert,  for  he  did  not  know  but 
that  the  animal  would  play  another  trick  at  any 
instant. 

"  Go  on,  old  boy!  "  he  muttered.  "  We've  got 
miles  and  miles  of  prairie  ahead  of  us.  Run  till 


228   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

you  are  tired !  But  remember,  you've  got  to  carry 
me  back,"  he  added,  grimly. 

Soon  the  ranch  house  and  the  corral  were  mere 
specks  in  the  distance,  and  then  even  these  faded 
from  view.  The  pony  kept  to  the  open  country, 
and  not  once  did  he  slacken  his  speed. 

"  I  guess  he'll  drop  into  a  walk  when  his  wind 
is  gone,"  thought  Dave.  But  the  pony's  breathing 
apparatus  showed  no  sign  of  giving  out.  Dave 
allowed  his  eyes  to  turn  back,  and  calculated  he 
had  gone  two  or  three  miles.  "  Maybe  we  had 
better  turn  back  now,"  he  murmured,  and  tried  to 
guide  the  steed  in  a  circle.  But  this  was  a  failure. 
The  pony  kept  straight  ahead,  running  due  east- 
ward, as  the  youth  could  see  by  the  sun. 

"  All  right,  go  as  far  as  you  please,"  said  Dave, 
grimly.  "  If  you  can  stand  it,  so  can  I,"  and  he 
settled  in  the  saddle. 

Another  two  miles  were  covered,  and  then  the 
bronco  commenced  to  slacken  his  speed.  Dave  was 
on  guard  at  this,  and  it  was  well  to  be,  for,  a 
second  later,  the  pony  once  more  tried  the  trick 
of  flinging  his  rider  over  his  head.  But  the  effort 
was  a  failure,  and  in  return  Dave  dug  his  knees 
deeply  into  the  steed's  ribs.  Then  off  went  the 
pony  on  a  run  again. 

This  time  the  bronco  did  not  cover  over  a  mile 
before  dropping  into  a  walk.  Then  Dave  tried 
again  to  turn  the  animal,  but  without  success. 


DAVE  ON  A  BRONCO  229 

"  Don't  want  to  go  back,  eh?  "  said  the  youth. 
"  Well,  youVe  got  to,  and  that  is  all  there  is  to 
it !  "  And  he  hit  the  pony  a  sharp  slap  on  the  neck 
and  dug  his  kneees  into  the  animal's  ribs  as  before. 

The  bronco  was  now  losing  courage.  He  com- 
menced to  run,  but  did  not  keep  it  up  for  more 
than  a  hundred  yards.  But  when  he  dropped  into 
a  walk,  Dave  urged  him  up,  and  again  he  ran, 
but  now  only  a  dozen  steps.  Then  the  youth  pulled 
on  the  left  rein,  and  the  bronco  came  around  with 
scarcely  any  trouble. 

"  You  aren't  mastered  yet,  but  you're  pretty  close 
to  it,"  said  the  boy.  "  We  are  going  home,  un- 
derstand, home !  " 

The  bronco  moved  forward  about  a  hundred 
feet.  Then  he  deliberately  dropped  on  the  prairie 
and  lay  on  his  side,  as  quiet  as  a  lamb. 

"  Want  to  rest,  eh?  "  said  Dave.  "  Well,  not 
out  here.  You  brought  me  here  and  you've  got 
to  take  me  back.  Get  up !  " 

He  gave  the  animal  a  prod  in  the  side.  The 
bronco  kicked  out.  Then  Dave  gave  a  harder 
prod.  This  the  pony  would  not  stand,  and  up 
he  came  with  surprising  agility.  He  tried  to  bolt, 
but  Dave  caught  the  saddle  and  clung  there.  They 
headed  again  eastward,  away  from  the  ranch. 

"  All  right,  now  run  for  it,  and  keep  it  up  as 
long  as  you  please !  "  cried  the  boy,  and  urged  the 
steed  forward.  Over  the  prairie  the  pony  sped, 


230   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

as  if  he  had  just  started  in  the  race.  Thus  another 
mile  was  covered,  and  now  Dave  calculated  he 
must  be  six  or  seven  miles  from  Star  Ranch.  The 
country  about  him  looked  strange,  and  he  wondered 
where  he  was.  Nothing  in  the  shape  of  a  trail 
had  come  to  view  during  the  last  run. 

When  the  bronco  stopped  his  racing,  the  youth 
turned  him  around  again.  He  now  showed  signs 
of  fatigue,  but  Dave  urged  him  on,  digging  his 
knees  into  the  animal's  ribs  as  tightly  as  ever. 
Dave  was  almost  "  used  up "  himself,  but  he 
resolved  to  make  the  bronco  take  him  back  to  the 
corral  or  die  in  the  attempt. 

"  They  shan't  have  the  laugh  on  me,"  he  argued. 
"  It's  back  to  the  ranch  or  nothing !  " 

Dave  steered  the  best  course  he  could  for  the 
corral,  but  with  nothing  to  guide  him  he  did  not 
know  if  he  was  moving  exactly  in  the  right  direc- 
tion or  not.  He  kept  on,  with  his  eyes  trying  to 
look  beyond  the  wide-stretching  prairies. 

Presently  he  saw  in  the  distance  what  looked 
to  be  a  row  of  low  buildings.  He  headed  in  that 
direction,  and  then  saw  that  the  objects  were  mov- 
ing towards  him. 

"  They  can't  be  buildings,  for  buildings  don't 
move  like  that,"  he  mused.  "  Must  be  cattle,  or 
horses.  Cattle,  most  likely." 

To  avoid  the  cattle,  he  turned  slightly  south- 
ward. But  the  animals  kept  coming  closer,  and 


DAVE  ON  A  BRONCO  231 

now  he  saw  that  they  were  running  in  something  of 
a  semicircle. 

"  Can  anything  be  wrong  with  them?  "  he  asked 
himself,  and  watched  the  approaching  herd  with 
interest.  The  bronco,  too,  pricked  up  his  ears, 
and  gave  a  sudden  snort  of  alarm. 

Then  to  Dave's  ears  came  the  thunder  of  the 
herd's  hoofs,  and  he  saw  that  the  cattle  were  on 
a  mad  run.  He  drew  rein  and  stood  up  in  his 
stirrups. 

The  sight  that  met  his  gaze  was  truly  alarming. 
At  least  a  thousand  head  of  steers  were  coming 
toward  him,  running  swiftly,  and  with  their  horns 
bent  low. 

"They  have  stampeded!"  he  gasped.  "  And 
they  are  coming  straight  this  way!  What  shall 
I  do  to  escape  them?" 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE 

DAVE  had  often  heard  of  cattle  stampedes,  and 
he  knew  how  truly  dangerous  such  a  mad  rush  can 
become.  Sometimes,  from  practically  no  cause 
whatever,  a  herd  of  cattle  will  start  on  a  wild  run, 
going  they  know  not  where,  and  carrying  all  down 
before  them. 

What  had  started  the  present  stampede  did  not 
interest  the  youth,  but  he  was  interested  in  the 
question  of  how  he  might  get  out  of  the  herd's  way, 
so  that  he  would  not  be  run  down  and  trodden  to 
a  jelly.  To  scare  the  leaders  off  might  be  easy, 
but  would  not  those  in  the  rear  push  on  until  he 
was  simply  overwhelmed? 

"  Fve  got  to  get  away  somehow!  "  he  reasoned, 
and  turned  his  pony  at  right  angles  to  the  approach- 
ing cattle.  For  the  moment  the  bronco  seemed 
too  frightened  to  budge,  but  at  a  cry  from  Dave 
he  leaped  forward,  and  then  went  streaking  across 
the  prairies  as  if  he  knew  his  life  and  that  of  his 
rider  depended  on  his  speed. 

It  was  now  a  race  for  life,  for  the  cattle  were 
232 


THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE  233 

still  moving  in  something  of  a  semicircle,  and  Dave 
did  not  know  whether  or  not  he  would  be  able  to 
clear  the  end  of  the  line  before  it  reached  him. 
He  called  to  the  pony,  but  this  was  unnecessary, 
for  the  bronco  evidently  understood  the  peril  fully 
as  well  as  his  rider. 

Suddenly,  when  it  looked  as  if  pony  and  youth 
could  not  escape,  Dave  heard  a  whistle  float  across 
the  prairie.  Looking  in  the  direction,  he  made 
out  the  form  of  Sid  Todd,  riding  like  the  wind 
toward  him.  Behind  him  came  Roger  and  Phil, 
but  the  two  boys  were  soon  stopped  and  told  to 
go  back. 

"  I'll  head  'em  off  1  "  yelled  Todd,  coming  closer. 
And  waving  his  big  sombrero  in  one  hand  he  com- 
menced to  fire  his  pistol  with  the  other.  He  shot 
rapidly,  aiming  for  the  ground  and  sending  streaks 
of  dust  into  the  air.  All  the  time  he  yelled  at 
the  top  of  his  lungs,  and,  understanding  the  move, 
Dave  yelled  too,  and  swung  one  arm  wildly. 

Soon  the  leaders  of  the  herd  took  notice  and 
came  to  a  sudden  halt.  The  rest  of  the  cattle 
shoved  from  behind,  and  then  the  leaders  broke, 
some  going  to  the  right,  and  the  others  to  the 
left. 

"Look  out,  Roger!  Phil!  They  are  coming 
your  way  I  "  screamed  Dave. 

He  was  right,  and  for  the  minute  it  looked  as 
if  Dave  had  been  saved  at  the  expense  of  his 


234   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

chums.  But  only  a  few  cattle  were  headed  for 
the  other  boys,  and  as  soon  as  Roger  and  Phil 
commenced  to  yell  and  wave  their  arms,  these 
broke  again,  and  thus  the  herd  was  completely 
scattered.  They  ran  a  short  distance  further,  then 
halted,  and  a  little  later  began  to  graze  as  if 
nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  had  happened. 

"Are  you  all  right,  son?"  asked  Sid  Todd, 
anxiously,  as  he  ranged  up  beside  Dave. 

"  Yes,  but — I — I  am  a  lit — tie  wi — winded," 
answered  Dave,  when  he  could  speak. 

"Good  enough!  Then  you  mastered  the 
bronco,  eh?  Didn't  he  throw  you  at  all?" 

"  No." 

"Didn't  he  roll?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  I  got  off  and  on  pretty  quick,  I 
can  tell  you." 

"  It's  wonderful!  I  never  would  have  thought 
it !  "  And  Sid  Todd's  face  showed  his  great  ad- 
miration. "  Why,  don't  you  know  that  that  is  one 
of  the  wickedest  ponies  on  this  ranch?  Yates  and 
some  of  the  others  have  tried  to  ride  him  more 
than  once." 

"And  they  couldn't  do  it?" 

"  Not  much  they  couldn't !  Why,  that  pony  bit 
one  of  the  men  in  the  arm  when  he  got  too  near!  " 

"  He  snapped  at  me  once." 

"Did,  eh?" 

"  Yes,  and  I  slapped  his  face." 


THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE  235 

"  Well,  that's  the  best  way — show  'em  you  ain't 
afraid.  But  it's  wonderful !  When  I  see  you  on 
this  pony  I  was  sure  you'd  be  killed,  and  I  made 
up  my  mind  to  give  Yates  the  wust  lickin'  he  ever 
had." 

"  He's  as  mild  as  a  lamb  now,"  went  on  Dave, 
as  he  eyed  the  pony. 

"  Don't  you  go  for  to  trustin'  him  too  much, 
yet,"  were  Sid  Todd's  words  of  warning,  and  Dave 
took  them  to  heart,  and  it  was  well  he  did  so,  for 
while  returning  to  the  ranch,  the  bronco  tried 
several  tricks  to  get  rid  of  his  rider,  but  without 
success. 

"  I  never  thought  you  would  do  it,"  said  Roger, 
earnestly.  "  Are  you  sure  he  is  safe  now?"  he 
added,  anxiously. 

"  I  wouldn't  try  to  ride  that  beast  for  a  million 
dollars,"  was  Phil's  comment.  "  When  he  went 
off  with  you  I  thought  you'd  never  get  back  to  tell 
the  story.  Roger  and  I  and  Todd  were  so  worried 
we  rode  after  you  just  as  fast  as  we  could." 

"  I  hope  the  girls  don't  hear  of  this,"  said  Dave. 
"  If  they  do,  they'll  worry  themselves  sick  every 
time  we  go  out." 

"  Oh,  we've  got  to  let  folks  know  how  you 
busted  that  bronco !  "  cried  Sid  Todd.  "  Why, 
son,  you  don't  understand,  but  it's  the  finest  bit  oj 
bustin'  ever  done  on  this  ranch!  "  he  added,  vehe- 
mently. 


236   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  I  won  out,  for  one  thing," 
answered  Dave,  dryly.  "  You  won't  have  to  give 
Yates  that  licking."  And  this  remark  made  the 
cowboy  laugh  in  spite  of  himself.  Nevertheless, 
later  on  he  gave  Yates  a  lecture  that  the  latter 
never  forgot. 

*  The  boy  had  one  chanct  in  a  hundred  o'  win- 
ning out,"  was  what  he  said.  "  One  chanct  in  a 
hundred,  an'  you  knew  it!  If  he  had  broken  his 
neck  I'd  'a'  held  you  responsible,  an'  so  would  the 
boss." 

"  But  he's  a  great  rider,"  pleaded  Yates. 

"  Sure  he  is,  better  nor  you'll  be  if  you  live  to  be 
a  hundred,  Yates.  But  it  was  wrong  to  pile  such 
a  thing  up  his  back, — an'  don't  you  go  for  to  do 
it  again." 

The  news  soon  spread  that  Dave  had  "  busted  " 
the  wild  bronco,  and  this,  coupled  with  the  fact  that 
he  had  aided  in  bringing  down  the  bobcat,  gave 
him  an  enviable  reputation  among  the  cowboys. 
But  the  girls  were  quite  alarmed,  Jessie  and  Laura 
especially. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  how  could  you !  "  cried  Jessie,  when 
they  were  alone. 

"  Well,  Jessie,  you  wouldn't  want  me  to  appear 
like  a  coward,  would  you?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  of  course  not,  Dave !  But — if  you  had 
been— killed!" 

"  I  was  watching  out,  I  can  tell  you  that,"  he 


THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE  237 

answered,  and  then  changed  the  subject,  for  he  did 
not  like  to  see  the  girl  he  admired  so  distressed. 

After  the  excitement  of  the  bronco  riding,  the 
boys  were  glad  enough  to  take  it  easy  for  several 
days.  Belle  had  a  tennis  court  and  a  croquet 
ground,  and  they  played  each  game  for  hours  at 
a  time.  The  girls  were  all  good  players  and  won 
the  majority  of  the  games. 

"  Tennis  and  croquet  are  all  well  enough  when 
you  have  nice  girls  to  play  with,"  remarked  Roger. 
"  But  otherwise  I  fancy  I'd  find  them  dead  slow." 

"  He'd  play  twenty-four  hours  at  a  stretch  with 
Laura,"  was  Phil's  comment. 

"  Not  to  mention  how  long  you'd  play  with 
Belle,"  retorted  the  senator's  son. 

"  Dave  doesn't  care  to  play  at  all  when  Jessie 
is  around,"  went  on  Phil,  slyly. 

"  Neither  of  'em  cares  to  play — if  there's  a  ham- 
mock and  a  chair  handy,"  added  Roger. 

"  I  noticed  yesterday,  when  Jessie  and  I  were 
playing  tennis,  you  fellows  were  so  busy  talking 
to  the  girls  you  forgot  all  about  your  games,"  re- 
torted Dave.,  "  And  one  of  you  was  spouting 
poetry,  about  *  eyes  divine,'  or  something  like  that." 

"  Not  me !  "  cried  Roger. 

"  Then  it  must  have  been  Phil !  " 

"  No,  it  was  Roger,"  protested  the  shipowner's 
son.  "  I  saw  him  writing  poetry  when  he  should 
have  been  sending  a  letter  home." 


238   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  You  go  on,  you  manufacturer  of  bombastic 
fairy  tales!  "  cried  the  senator's  son,  and  he  com- 
menced to  chase  Phil  around  the  piazza.  The 
other  boy  leaped  the  rail  and  Roger  followed,  and 
then  both  commenced  to  wrestle  on  the  grass. 

"  Mercy  me !  What's  going  on?  "  cried  Laura, 
coming  from  the  sitting-room. 

"Greatest  exhibition  on  the  globe!  "  called  out 
Dave,  in  showman  style.  u  The  two  marvelous 
lightweights  of  the  United  States,  Master  Hitem 
Morr  and  Lamem  Lawrence.  They  will  fight  to 
a  finish,  without  gloves,  weather  permitting.  Walk 
up,  tumble  up,  or  crawl  up !  Admission  ten  cents, 
one  dime ;  young  ladies  with  grandfathers  in  arms, 
half-price!" 

"  Oh,  Dave !  "  cried  his  sister,  and  burst  out 
laughing.  The  noise  brought  Jessie  and  Belle  to 
the  scene,  and  seeing  what  was  going  on,  all  of 
the  girls  commenced  to  pelt  the  boys  on  the  grass 
with  tennis  balls.  The  "  attack  "  lasted  for  several 
minutes,  and  then  the  girls  ran  away,  and  the  boys 
went  after  them,  into  the  house  and  out  again, 
and  across  the  yard,  and  then  through  the  kitchen, 
much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  Chinese  cook. 
Here  Phil  scooped  up  a  ladleful  of  soup. 

"  Halt,  base  enemy!  "  he  cried,  holding  the  soup 

aloft.  "  One  step  closer  and  thou  shalt  be " 

And  then  he  slipped  and  the  soup  slopped  over  his 
hand  and  his  shoes.  He  ran  for  the  yard  again, 


THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE  239 

dropped  on  a  bench,  in  mock  exhaustion ;  and  there 
the  others  joined  him;  and  the  fun,  for  the  time 
being,  came  to  an  end. 

"  We  are  going  to  the  railroad  station  this 
afternoon  with  papa,"  said  Belle.  "  Want  to  go 
along?  " 

"  Will  a  duck  drink  ice-cream  soda !  "  cried 
Roger.  "  Of  course  we  will  go  along." 

"  Then  you  had  better  get  ready  now — for  we 
are  to  start  directly  after  lunch." 

"Anything  special  at  the  station?"  questioned 
Dave. 

"  Papa  is  going  to  see  a  man  about  some  horses. 
He  wants  to  buy  a  few  more  good  ones,  if  he  can." 

"  It's  a  pity  we  can't  find  out  what  became  of 
the  others,"  went  on  Dave. 

It  took  the  girls  some  time  to  prepare  for  the 
journey  to  the  railroad  station,  so  the  start  from 
Star  Ranch  was  not  made  until  after  two  o'clock. 
Mr.  Endicott  rode  in  advance,  and  the  young  folks 
paired  off  in  couples  after  him. 

When  they  got  to  the  bridge  Dave  was  much 
surprised  to  see  a  couple  of  men  at  work  repairing 
the  structure.  They  were  putting  down  some 
planking  that  was  bound  to  last  a  long  while. 

"  Mr.  Merwell  must  have  opened  his  heart  at 
last,"  said  Dave,  to  the  railroad  president. 

"Not  at  all,  Dave;  I  am  having  this  work 
done,"  was  Mr.  Endicott's  reply. 


24o   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  But  I  thought  you  said  it  was  up  to  Mr. 
Merwell  to  keep  this  bridge  in  repair." 

"  So  it  is,  but  as  he  won't  do  anything,  rather 
than  have  a  quarrel,  I  am  repairing  it  myself." 

"  Do  you  think  he  wants  to  sell  out?  Maybe 
that  is  his  reason  for  not  spending  money  in  re- 
pairs." 

"  He  will  sell  out,  but  his  price  is  very  high — 
too  high  to  suit  the  man  who  wants  to  buy." 

Leaving  the  vicinity  of  the  bridge,  the  party 
continued  on  the  way  to  the  railroad  station.  The 
train  was  not  yet  in,  but  it  soon  arrived  and  on  it 
came  the  man  Mr.  Endicott  wished  to  see.  From 
the  train  also  stepped  Hank  Snogger.  The  ranch 
hand  had  evidently  been  to  a  barber  in  the  city,  for 
he  was  shaven  and  his  hair  was  closely  trimmed. 

"  He  looks  like  quite  a  different  person,"  re- 
marked Belle.  "  He  always  wore  his  hair  long 
and  straggly  before." 

"  Yes,  and  he  wasn't  any  too  clean,"  answered 
Dave.  "  Now  he  is  well  washed  and  brushed." 

Hank  Snogger  walked  around  the  station  on 
an  errand,  and  then  came  up  to  where  a  horse 
was  waiting  for  him.  As  he  did  this  he  passed 
quite  close  to  the  boys  and  girls  and  gave  the 
former  a  cold  stare. 

"  Do  you  know,  I  feel  sure  I  have  seen  some- 
body that  looks  like  him,"  said  Dave  in  a  whisper. 
"  I  said  so  before.  But  I  can't  place  the  man." 


THE  CATTLE  STAMPEDE  241 

"  Yes,  I've  seen  somebody  that  looked  like  him, 
too,"  added  Roger.  "  It  was  while  we  were  com- 
ing out  here.  Now  let  me  think."  And  he  rubbed 
his  chin  reflectively. 

"  Here's  a  letter  about  that  boy  we  helped, 
Charley  Gamp,"  said  Phil,  who  had  just  received 
the  mail. 

"  Charley  Gamp !  "  cried  Dave.  "  That's  it— 
that's  the  same  face !  This  Hank  Snogger  looks 
exactly  like  Charley  Gamp !  " 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   BEGINNING  OF  THE  GRAND  HUNT 

DAVE'S  announcement  produced  a  little  sensa- 
tion, and  for  the  moment  his  chums  stared  at 
him  in  astonishment. 

"  Come  to  think  of  it,  that  man  does  look  like 
the  little  newsboy,"  said  Roger,  slowly.  "  Do  you 
suppose  they  can  be  related?" 

"  Td  hate  to  think  that  Charley  Gamp  was  re- 
lated to  such  a  fellow,"  said  Phil.  "  Snogger 
isn't  a  nice  sort  to  have  anything  to  do  with." 

"  Mr.  Endicott  said  he  didn't  use  to  be  so  bad," 
answered  Dave.  "  It  is  only  lately — since  he  went 
to  work  for  Mr.  Merwell — that  he  has  grown 
dissolute." 

"  Maybe  he  is  sorry  that  he  left  the  Endicott 
place,"  said  the  senator's  son.  "  I'll  wager  he  has 
no  such  nice  times  at  the  Triple  X  Ranch  as  he 
had  at  the  Star." 

"  Not  if  all  the  cowboys  are  like  those  who 
came  to  our  entertainment,"  said  Phil.  "  But, 
Dave,  if  you  think  he's  related  to  Charley  Gamp, 
why  not  speak  to  him  about  it?  " 

242 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  HUNT  243 

"  You  may  get  into  trouble  if  you  do,"  inter- 
posed Roger,  hastily.  "  Some  of  these  Western 
characters  don't  like  to  have  their  past  raked 
up." 

"  But  Charley  Gamp  wants  to  find  his  relatives," 
w°nt  on  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  I'll  bring  it  around — when  I  get  the  chance," 
said  Dave.  "  But  I  can't  do  it  now,"  he  added. 
"  He's  gone."  And  Dave  was  right.  Hank 
Snogger  had  leaped  on  his  horse,  and  was  off,  on  a 
trail  that  led  up  the  river  instead  of  across  it. 

"What  are  you  boys  confabbing  about?" 
cried  Belle,  coming  up,  with  a  box  of  candy  in  her 
hand. 

"  We  were  just  wondering  where  we'd  get  some 
candy,"  answered  Dave,  innocently.  He  did  not 
think  it  wise  to  mention  Snogger  just  then. 

"  Indeed!  Well,  I  bought  this  from  the  candy 
man  of  the  train.  He  is  waiting  for  the  down 
train." 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  questioned  Roger. 

"  Down  the  track — by  the  water  tower." 

"  We'll  raid  him !  "  cried  the  senator's  son,  and 
then  he  and  Dave  and  Phil  set  off  on  a  footrace 
in  the  direction  of  the  man  who  sold  candy,  cigars, 
and  magazines.  They  found  that  he  had  a  pretty 
fair  stock  of  candy  and  magazines,  and  each  boy 
purchased  what  he  thought  would  suit  the  others 
and  himself.  In  the  fun  and  good  spirits  that 


244   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

followed  Hank  Snogger  was,  for  the  time  being, 
forgotten. 

Two  days  later  there  was  a  rounding-up  of  some 
of  the  cattle  and  the  boys  were  allowed  to  partici- 
pate. They  went  out  with  Sid  Todd,  who  had 
charge  of  the  round-up,  and  were  in  the  saddle 
from  early  morning  until  late  at  night.  The  cattle 
were  gathered  in  a  valley  up  the  river,  sorted  out 
from  some  belonging  to  Mr.  Merwell  and  Mr. 
Hooper,  and  then  driven  off  to  a  stockyard  along 
the  railroad  line. 

"  Not  so  exciting  as  I  thought  it  would  be," 
said  Dave,  after  the  round-up  was  over. 

"  I've  had  all  the  riding  I  want  for  one  day," 
answered  the  shipowner's  son. 

"That's  right,"  grumbled  Roger.  They  had 
had  only  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  rest  for  lunch. 
"  I  reckon  some  of  us  will  be  stiff  in  the  morning," 
and  he  was  right,  all  felt  somewhat  sore. 

The  round-up  had  been  a  careful  one,  for  Mr. 
Endicott  had  heard  that  Mr.  Merwell  was  finding 
fault  over  the  way  some  of  his  cattle  were  being 
chased  by  the  cowboys.  The  following  afternoon 
the  Merwells — father  and  son — met  Mr.  Endicott 
as  he  and  Belle  were  riding  along  the  trail,  talking 
over  the  family's  plans  for  the  coming  winter. 

"  See  here,  I  want  to  speak  about  my  cattle," 
cried  Mr.  Merwell,  wrathfully,  as  he  drew  rein. 

"  Some  time  when  I  am  alone,  Mr.  Merwell," 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  HUNT  245 

answered  the  railroad  president.  He  quickly  saw 
that  his  neighbor  was  "  spoiling  for  a  fight." 

"  Your  men  took  three  or  four  of  my  steers, " 
went  on  Mr.  Merwell.  "  I  won't  stand  for  it." 

"That  can't  be  so,  Mr.  Merwell.  My  man, 
Todd,  is  a  careful  rounder,  and  he  told  me  he  was 
sure  of  the  brands." 

"  He  ain't  careful  at  all,"  broke  in  Link.  "  He 
drinks  and  he  don't  know  what  he  is  doing." 

"  This  is  an  affair  between  your  father  and  my- 
self," said  Mr.  Endicott,  stiffly.  "  You  will  kindly 
keep  out  of  it." 

"  Huh!  I  guess  I  can  have  my  say!  "  growled 
Link. 

"  I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  every  head 
of  cattle  of  mine  that  is  missing,"  continued  Mr. 
Merwell,  with  a  dark  look. 

"  I  am  willing  to  pay  for  every  head  that  Todd 
drove  off  that  did  not  belong  to  us,"  answered  Mr. 
Endicott.  "  But  he  assured  me  that  he  took  only 
our  own.  I  will  look  into  the  matter  when  I  get 
back  to  the  ranch."  And,  bowing  stiffly,  the  rail- 
road president  rode  on,  with  Belle  beside  him.  As 
they  passed,  Link  "  made  a  face  "  at  Belle,  but  the 
young  lady  refused  to  notice  him. 

As  soon  as  he  returned  to  the  ranch,  Mr.  Endi- 
cott called  up  Sid  Todd,  and  then  some  of  the  other 
cowboys,  and  questioned  them  closely  about  the 
cattle  sent  off.  The  head  herder  indignantly  de« 


246   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

nied  that  he  had  included  any  outside  cattle,  and 
his  story  was  corroborated  by  the  others. 

"  I  can  leave  it  to  Bill  Parker,  Mr.  Hooper's 
man,"  said  Todd.  "  He  was  there.  If  Merwell 
didn't  want  to  take  our  word,  why  didn't  he  send 
a  man  down?  We  notified  him  that  we  was  go- 
ing to  make  a  shipment." 

"  Have  the  steers  been  shipped  yet?" 

"  No — not  till  to-morrow." 

'*  Then  ride  down  to  the  yard  and  have  Harri- 
son go  over  them  and  write  out  a  declaration  that 
they  are  all  ours,"  added  the  ranch  owner. 

"  It's  a  good  deal  of  work,"  grumbled  the  cow- 
boy. 

"  I  know  it,  but  I'll  pay  Harrison.  With  a 
declaration  from  Harrison,  Mr.  Merwell  will  have 
no  claim." 

The  ranch  owner's  orders  were  carried  out,  and 
the  next  day  a  duplicate  of  the  stockyard  man's 
declaration, — that  the  cattle  were  all  of  the  Star 
Ranch  brand, — was  delivered  to  Mr.  Merwell. 

"  Huh!  needn't  tell  me!  "  he  sniffed,  after  read- 
ing the  paper.  "  I  guess  Harrison  is  playing  into 
Endicott's  hands." 

"  You  tell  Harrison  that — if  you  dare,"  an- 
swered the  messenger,  who  had  delivered  the  paper. 
Harrison  was  known  to  be  a  fair  and  square  but 
high-tempered  individual,  and  one  who  could  shoot, 
and  shoot  straight. 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  HUNT  247 

"  Oh,  I — er — I  didn't  mean — er — anything 
against  Harrison,"  answered  Felix  Merwell,  hast- 
ily. "  I  think  Endicott  is  deceiving  him,  that's 
all.  But  it  is  not  his  fault.  I — er — suppose, 
though,  I'll  have  to  let  the  matter  drop.  Just  the 
same,  I  think  some  of  my  cattle  slipped  into  that 
drove."  And  there  the  matter  rested.  Mr. 
Merwell  knew  he  was  in  the  wrong,  but  he  was 
too  mean  a  man  to  acknowledge  it.  Truly,  father 
and  son  were  equally  despicable. 

"  I  wish  he  would  sell  out,"  said  Belle,  to  the 
other  girls.  "  But  I  am  afraid  he  won't — he'll 
stay  here  just  so  he  and  Link  can  worry  us." 

"  Maybe  he  wants  you  to  sell  out,"  said  Jessie. 

"  Well,  we'll  not  do  it,"  answered  Belle,  with 
spirit. 

On  the  following  day  the  boys  and  girls  went 
out  on  a  picnic,  taking  a  generous  lunch  with  them. 
They  persuaded  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Endicott  to  go 
along  with  them,  and  after  they  returned  home 
the  ranch  owner  and  his  wife  said  they  felt  ten 
years  younger.  They  had  joined  in  all  the  games 
played,  helped  to  build  a  campfire  and  make  coffee, 
and  "  cut  up  "  just  as  if  they  were  young  them- 
selves. 

"  Oh,  if  only  papa  and  mamma  were  here !  " 
sighed  Jessie.  "  I  must  write  them  a  long  letter, 
telling  them  all  about  it !  "  And  the  letter  was 
penned  the  next  morning.  On  that  day  came  a 


248   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

letter  from  Dunston  Porter,  stating  he  would  stop 
at  Star  Ranch  for  them  ten  days  from  date. 

"Only  ten  days  more!"  cried  Dave.  "My, 
how  the  time  flies !  " 

There  was  also  a  letter  from  Nat  Poole,  in  which 
Nat  stated  that  he  had  been  looking  for  the  fellow 
who  called  himself  Tom  Shocker  and  had  at  last 
located  the  rascal  in  a  town  not  far  from  Buffalo. 
He  had  accused  the  man  of  the  robbery  at  the  hotel, 
and  caused  the  fellow  to  give  up  the  stickpin  and 
also  a  pawn-ticket  for  the  watch.  The  timepiece 
had  been  recovered,  and  both  articles  were  now  at 
the  Wadsworth  home,  waiting  for  Dave. 

"Well,  I  am  glad  Nat  got  the  things  back," 
said  Dave. 

"  Maybe  that  will  be  a  lesson  to  him,  not  to 
trust  strangers  in  the  future,"  was  Phil's  comment. 
"  But  how  about  the  money?  " 

"  Nat  says  Shocker  spent  that." 

"  Then  Nat  will  have  to  make  it  good,"  said 
Roger. 

"  Yes,  he  says  he  will,"  answered  Dave. 

"  What  about  that  grand  hunt  we  were  to 
have?  "  questioned  Roger.  "  Only  ten  days  more, 
remember." 

"  I'll  s-ee  Todd  about  it  at  once,"  was  Dave's 
answer. 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  not  only  with  the 
cowboy,  but  with  the  others,  and  it  was  finally 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  HUNT  249 

decided  that  the  boys  and  Todd  should  leave  the 
ranch  home  two  days  later,  for  a  hunt  that  was 
to  last  three  and  possibly  four  days.  They  were 
to  go  on  horseback,  and  carry  with  them  a  small 
tent  and  a  fair  supply  of  provisions,  as  well  as  two 
rifles  and  their  shotguns,  and  the  cowboy's  pistol. 

"  We'll  strike  out  straight  for  the  mountains," 
said  Todd.  "  To  be  sure,  we  may  find  some  game 
in  the  hills  close  by,  but  in  the  mountains  we'll  be 
certain  to  run  down  something  worth  while." 

"  Well,  you  look  out  that  something  doesn't 
run  you  down — a  bear,  for  instance,"  said  Laura. 

"  Boys  that  can  kill  a  bobcat  can  kill  a  bear, 
if  they  try,"  answered  Sid  Todd 

The  boys  were  in  great  delight,  and  spent  every 
minute  of  their  time  in  getting  ready  for  the  trip. 
Guns  were  cleaned  and  oiled,  and  they  sorted  and 
packed  their  ammunition  with  care.  Mr.  Endicott 
had  a  compact  camping  outfit,  consisting  of  dishes 
and  cooking  utensils,  and  the  little  tent,  and  these 
were  made  into  convenient  packs  for  the  horses, 
and  the  provisions  were  likewise  strapped  up  prop- 
erly. Todd  aided  in  all,  and  the  lads  had  to  ad- 
mire how  deftly  he  put  things  together  so  that 
they  might  be  carried  with  comparative  ease. 

"  He  has  been  there  before,  that  is  plain  to  see," 
said  the  senator's  son. 

"  A  fine  man,"  declared  Dave,  heartily.  "  I 
shall  feel  perfectly  safe  with  him  along." 


250   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

The  girls  were  sorry  to  see  the  boys  go,  yet 
every  one  of  them  wished  the  lads  the  best  of 
luck. 

"Please  don't  run  into  any  danger!"  pleaded 
Jessie. 

"  Don't  shoot  at  a  bear  unless  you  know  you 
can  get  away  from  him  if  you  miss  him,"  cautioned 
Laura. 

"  And,  above  all,  don't  get  lost  in  the  moun- 
tains," was  Belle's  advice. 

It  had  looked  like  rain  the  night  before,  and 
the  boys  were  worried,  not  wishing  to  depart  in 
the  wet.  But  the  sun  came  out  full  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  their  spirits  at  once  arose.  Roger  could 
not  contain  himself  and  whistled  merrily,  while 
Phil  did  a  double  shuffle  while  waiting  for  break- 
fast. Dave  was  also  happy,  although  sorry  that 
the  girls,  and  especially  Jessie,  would  not  be  along. 

"All  ready!  "  cried  Todd,  half  an  hour  later, 
when  the  horses  had  been  brought  around  to  the 
piazza. 

"  I  am !  "  cried  Dave. 

"  So  am  I,"  came  from  Phil  and  Roger. 

"  Then  good-by,  everybody!  "  shouted  the  cow- 
boy, swinging  his  sombrero,  and  off  he  galloped. 
The  boys  said  farewell,  the  girls  waved  their  hand- 
kerchiefs, one  of  the  hands  fired  off  his  pistol,  and 
away  the  lads  went  after  Todd;  and  the  grand  hunt 
was  begun. 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  HUNT  251 

It  was  still  early  and  delightfully  cool,  with  a 
faint  breeze  blowing  from  the  distant  mountains, 
for  which  they  were  headed.  Todd  had  already 
told  them  that  they  were  to  keep  on  steadily  until 
exactly  noon,  crossing  the  river,  and  following  a 
brook  that  came  from  the  upper  hills. 

"  I  know  a  fine  spot  to  stop  for  dinner,"  he  said. 
"  And  we  can  make  it  if  you'll  keep  up  with  me." 
He  always  took  his  dinner  at  noon,  having  no  use 
for  "  lunch  "  at  any  time. 

On  and  on  over  the  smooth  plains  the  party  gal- 
loped, and  by  the  middle  of  the  forenoon  reached 
the  river. 

"  No  use  in  stopping  for  a  mess  of  fish,  I  sup- 
pose," said  the  senator's  son,  wistfully. 

'  You  can  cr.tch  'em  up  in  the  hilh  just  as  well," 
answered  the  cowboy.  "  Sweeter,  too,  maybe,"  he 
added.  Many  fishermen  think  that  the  higher  up 
a  stream  you  go  for  fish,  the  sweeter  they  are  to 
the  taste. 

The  cowboy  had  certainly  set  a  smart  pace, 
but  none  of  the  boys  grumbled,  for  they  were  as 
anxious  as  he  to  reach  the  mountains  and  look  for 
game. 

"  Of  course  you  can  keep  your  eyes  open  around 
here,"  he  said,  as  they  galloped  along.  "  But  you 
won't  see  much,  I'm  afraid." 

"  I  see  some  grouse !  "  cried  the  shipowner's  son, 
a  few  minutes  later.  "  We  might  bring  some  of 


252   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

those  down  and  cook  them  for  supper.  We  won't 
want  to  wait  to  do  it  for  dinner." 

He  pointed  to  some  grouse  far  away,  and  all 
agreed  that  the  fowls  would  make  good  eating. 
They  rode  behind  some  bushes,  tied  their  horses, 
and  went  forward  with  caution.  All  fired  together, 
and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away  they  saw  that 
four  of  the  game  had  been  laid  low.  The  rest 
had  flown  away,  and  to  follow  them  would  have 
been  useless. 

"  Well,  four  are  all  right !  "  cried  Roger,  and 
was  about  to  rush  forward  to  pick  up  the  grouse 
when  of  a  sudden  Dave  yelled  to  him  to  stop. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  A  snake!  "  screamed  Phil.  And  as  he  spoke 
all  in  the  party  saw  what  Dave  had  first  discovered. 
A  rattlesnake  had  appeared  from  a  hole  in  a  tree, 
close  to  where  the  dead  grouse  lay  I 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

AFTER  DEER 
"  A  RATTLESNAKE  ! 

"  Take  care  that  he  doesn't  bite  you !  " 

"  My,  what  a  big  fellow !  " 

"  He  is  heading  this  way!  " 

Such  were  some  of  the  cries  uttered  by  the 
young  hunters  and  Sid  Todd  as  all  beheld  a  large- 
sized  snake  crawling  from  a  hole  under  the  tree. 
That  it  was  a  rattler  there  was  no  doubt. 

All  leaped  back,  for  the  sight  momentarily 
stunned  them.  But  then  Dave  recovered  his  pres- 
ence of  mind  and  blazed  away  with  his  shotgun, 
hitting  the  reptile  in  the  middle,  and  inflicting 
several  ugly  but  not  mortal  wounds.  The  rattle- 
snake gave  a  hiss,  glided  under  some  leafy  bushes, 
and  there  commenced  to  sound  his  rattles. 

"  He's  going  to  strike!"  cried  Phil,  and  as  he 
spoke  the  shotgun  in  Sid  Todd's  hands  was  dis- 
charged. He  fired  among  the  leaves,  and  whether 
or  not  he  hit  the  snake,  nobody  could  tell. 

"  Don't  go  near  him,"  called  out  Roger.  He 
hated  snakes  about  as  much  as  he  hated  anything. 

All  waited,  and  while  doing  so,  Dave  and  Todd 
253 


254   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

took  the  opportunity  to  reload.  They  were  just 
finishing  when  Phil,  chancing  to  look  behind  them, 
uttered  a  yell  that  would  have  done  credit  to  an 
Apache  Indian. 

"  Look  out !     One  of  'em  is  behind  us !  " 

The  others  all  took  his  word  for  it,  and  leaped 
to  one  side.  True  enough,  a  second  rattlesnake  had 
appeared,  and  now  a  third  was  coming  to  light, 
from  under  a  rock  near  by. 

"  It's  a  den  of  rattlers !  "  screamed  Sid  Todd. 
"  Run  for  it,  boys !  No  use  of  trying  to  kill  'em 
off !  They  are  too  many  for  us !  " 

The  boys  were  already  running  at  top  speed, 
and  the  cowboy  joined  them.  In  order  to  gain 
the  horses,  they  had  to  move  in  a  semicircle.  When 
they  reached  the  animals,  they  found  the  steeds 
exceedingly  nervous  and  inclined  to  bolt. 

"  Reckon  they  smell  the  snakes,"  was  Todd's 
comment.  "  A  hoss  ain't  got  no  use  for  rattlers 
— and  I  ain't  nuther,"  he  added,  and  rode  away, 
with  the  boys  beside  him. 

"  What  about  the  grouse?  "  asked  Phil,  mourn- 
fully. 

"  Do  you  want  to  go  back  after  them?"  ques- 
tioned Dave,  with  a  grim  smile. 

"  Not  for  a  thousand  dollars !  " 

"  Then  I  guess  we'll  have  to  let  the  snakes 
have  them,"  went  on  Dave.  "  Let  us  be  thank- 
ful that  we  weren't  bitten." 


AFTER  DEER  255 

"  Rattlesnakes  is  the  one  drawback  to  this  coun- 
try," said  the  cowboy,  when  they  were  a  safe 
distance  from  the  reptiles.  "  I  don't  mind  wild 
beasts,  but  I  do  draw  the  line  on  snakes.  But  there 
ain't  near  so  many  as  there  used  to  be,  an'  some 
day  there  won't  be  any  at  all." 

"  After  this  I  am  going  to  beware  of  holes  that 
look  snaky,"  was  Roger's  comment.  "  I  think  if 
a  rattlesnake  got  close  to  me  I'd  be  paralyzed  with 
fright." 

As  they  went  on,  they  kept  their  eyes  open  for 
more  game,  and  just  before  resting  for  dinner 
Dave  saw  some  grouse  high  up  in  a  tree  in  a 
hollow.  With  caution  they  advanced,  this  time 
on  horseback,  and  all  fired  together  as  before. 
Out  of  the  tree  fluttered  seven  grouse,  for  they 
had  been  close  together  and  the  shot  had  created 
great  havoc.  All  but  one  were  dead  and  the  sev- 
enth was  quickly  dispatched  by  Todd. 

'  We'll  have  some  good  eating  to-night,  after 
all,"  said  Roger,  with  a  grin.  He  liked  fowl  of 
all  kinds. 

The  stop  for  dinner  was  made  beside  a  mountain 
spring,  where  the  water  was  icy  cold  and  as  clear 
as  crystal.  They  took  their  time  eating,  thus  al- 
lowing the  horses  a  chance  to  rest  and  to  crop 
the  nearby  grass. 

'  We  have  covered  about  twenty  miles,"  said 
the  cowboy,  in  reply  to  a  question  from  Phil. 


256   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Then,  if  we  do  as  well  this  afternoon,  we'll 
be  forty  miles  from  the  ranch  by  the  time  we  camp 
to-night." 

"  We'll  not  make  over  ten  or  twelve  miles  this 
afternoon,  lad,"  was  the  answer.  "  It  will  be  hard 
climbing  up  the  hills." 

"  But  harder  climbing  to-morrow,"  put  in  Dave. 

"  Yes,  to-morrow  will  test  the  horses,  and  test 
you,  too,"  said  Todd. 

It  was  very  pleasant  to  rest  in  the  shade  after 
such  a  long  ride  in  the  sun,  but  the  cowboy  was 
anxious  to  reach  a  certain  camping  spot  for  the 
night,  and  so  he  allowed  only  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  for  the  midday  halt. 

As  soon  as  they  left  the  spring,  the  youths  real- 
ized what  was  before  them.  The  trail  now  led 
constantly  upward,  and  was  in  parts  stony  and 
uncertain.  In  several  places  they  had  to  leap 
brooks  of  fair  size. 

'  This  isn't  so  nice,"  remarked  Phil,  as  they 
came  to  a  halt,  to  allow  the  horses  to  rest  after 
a  particularly  difficult  hill  had  been  climbed. 

"  Oh,  this  is  nothing  to  the  traveling  we'll  do  to- 
morrow," answered  Sid  Todd.  u  We  are  only 
in  the  foothills  now — to-morrow  we'll  be  right  in 
the  mountains." 

About  four  o'clock  they  gained  the  top  of  an- 
other hill.  As  they  came  out  in  a  cleared  spot  all 
gazed  around  with  interest. 


AFTER  DEER  257 

"  Look !  "  cried  Dave,  pointing  with  his  hand. 
"  Am  I  mistaken,  or  are  those  deer?  " 

He  was  pointing  to  the  top  of  another  hill  about 
half  a  mile  distant.  There,  outlined  against  the 
sky,  could  be  seen  a  number  of  animals  grazing. 

"  Deer,  my  boy !  "  cried  Sid  Todd.  "  A  fine  lot 
of  'em,  too,  or  I'm  mistaken !  " 

"  Oh,  let  us  go  after  them !  "  exclaimed  Roger, 
impulsively. 

"  I'm  willing,"  answered  the  cowboy.  "  But  I 
don't  know  if  you  can  get  any  of  'em  to-night.  It 
will  be  a  hard  climb  to  where  they  are.  I  don't 
know  as  we  can  go  all  the  way  on  hosses." 

"  Then  we'll  go  on  foot,"  cried  Dave.  He  was 
as  anxious  as  his  chums  to  get  a  shot  at  the  big 
game. 

The  cowboy  studied  the  situation  for  several 
minutes,  meanwhile  withdrawing  himself  and  the 
others  to  a  spot  where  the  distant  deer  might  not 
see  them.  Then  he  led  the  party  down  the  hill 
and  in  the  direction  of  the  game. 

If  traveling  had  been  hard  before,  it  was  doubly 
so  now,  and  the  chums  realized  that  to  get  to 
where  the  deer  were  grazing  would  be  no  easy 
matter.  They  had  to  slip  and  slide  over  the 
rocks,  and  once  or  twice  they  reached  places  where 
further  progress  seemed  impossible. 

"If  we  get  any  of  those  deer,  we'll  earn 
theml" 


258   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

panted  Phil,  as  he  half  climbed,  half  slid,  over 
some  rocks.  "  If  my  horse  goes  down,  I  don't 
know  what  will  happen  to  me!  "  he  added. 

"  We'll  not  go  much  further  on  hossback,  I'm 
thinking,"  answered  Todd.  "  We  can't  afford 
to  injure  our  animals." 

Between  the  hills  was  a  small  valley  and  here 
the  cowboy  said  they  had  better  tether  their  steeds 
and  leave  them. 

"  Even  if  we  don't  get  back,  they'll  likely  be 
safe  till  morning,"  he  added. 

"  If  we  have  to  remain  away  all  night,  we  had 
better  take  some  eating  with  us,"  said  Phil. 

"  We  sure  will,"  answered  Todc,  and  he  gave 
each  of  the  party  something  to  carry  on  his  back 
and  in  his  gamebag. 

"  Now  for  a  climb  that  is  a  climb !  "  cried  Dave. 
"  Roger,  this  puts  me  in  mind  of  some  climbing  I 
did  in  Norway." 

"Were  you  in  Norway?"  questioned  Sid 
Todd,  curiously. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  once  went  there  to  find  my  father," 
answered  Dave. 

Before  them  was  a  steep  incline,  covered  with 
stones  and  a  stunted  growth  of  cedars.  Up  this 
they  went  with  care,  for  some  of  the  stones  were 
loose  and  afforded  only  an  uncertain  footing. 
Once  Phil  slipped  and  commenced  to  roll.  He 
bumped  against  Dave,  and  both  went  flat 


AFTER  DEER  259 

"  Grab  a  tree !  "  sang  out  Roger.  But  there 
was  no  need  to  offer  this  advance,  for  Dave  had 
already  done  so.  He  saved  himself  and  Phil  from 
rolling  further.  But  a  frying-pan  the  shipowner's 
son  carried  broke  loose  from  the  pack  on  his  back 
and  went  clattering  down  the  rocks  to  the  very  foot 
of  the  hill. 

"  For  the  love  of  flapjacks,  stop  that  noise!" 
cried  Sid  Todd,  in  a  low  voice.  "  Time  you  get 
to  the  top  of  the  hill  them  deer  will  be  ten  miles 
away!" 

"  I — I  couldn't  help  it,"  answered  Phil,  as  he 
arose  and  gazed  sorrowfully  after  the  frying-pan. 
"  Shall  I  go  back  after  it?  "  he  asked. 

"Where  is  it?" 

"  I  see  it — sticking  in  the  fork  of  a  cedar  tree," 
answered  Roger,  and  pointed  out  the  pan. 

"  Let  it  alone — we  can  get  it  when  we  come 
back,"  said  the  cowboy.  "  Now  don't  make  any 
more  noise,  or  you  won't  get  no  chanct  at  them 
deer,  mark  my  words!  " 

All  of  the  boys  understood  the  importance  of 
keeping  quiet,  and  as  they  neared  the  top  of  the 
hill  where  the  deer  had  been  discovered,  they 
moved  with  great  caution  and  spoke  only  in  whis- 
pers. 

'  The  wind  is  blowing  toward  us,  and  that's  in 
our  favor,"  said  Sid  Todd. 

"  I  know  it,"  answered  Dave.     "  Deer  can  scent 


260   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

a  fellow  a  long  way  off  if  the  wind  is  towards 
them.'1 

The  cowboy  now  took  the  lead  and  told  the 
lads  not  to  make  a  sound  that  was  unnecessary. 
Thus  they  covered  another  hundred  yards.  Here 
was  a  ridge  of  rocks  and  beyond  the  top  of  the  hill. 

"They  are  gone!"  murmured  Roger,  as  his 
eyes  discovered  that  the  top  of  the  hill  was  aban- 
doned. 

"  I'll  crawl  forward  and  take  a  look,"  said 
Todd.  "  Keep  quiet  now,  or  we  won't  git 
nuthin'." 

The  cowboy  disappeared  over  the  top  of  the 
hill,  crawling  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees. 
He  was  gone  fully  ten  minutes — a  time  that  to 
the  boys,  just  then,  seemed  like  an  age.  They 
looked  to  their  weapons,  to  see  that  the  firearms 
were  ready  for  use. 

Presently  Dave,  who  was  on  the  watch,  saw 
Todd  arise  in  a  clump  of  bushes  on  the  other  side 
of  the  hilltop.  He  was  beckoning  for  the  boys 
to  advance.  One  hand  he  held  over  his  mouth,  to 
enjoin  silence. 

With  their  hearts  beating  more  rapidly  than 
usual,  the  three  young  hunters  wormed  their  way 
over  the  top  of  the  hill  and  joined  the  cowboy. 
In  silence  Todd  pointed  to  a  distance  below  them. 
There,  on  a  sort  of  cliff  on  the  hillside,  were  the 
deer,  ten  in  number,  grazing  peacefully. 


AFTER  DEER  261 

"  Oh,  what  a  shot !  "  whispered  Dave,  and 
his  eyes  brightened  as  he  swung  his  gun  into 
position. 

"  Wait !  "  said  Todd,  in  a  whisper.  "  I'll  take 
the  one  on  the  right.  You  take  the  one  on  the 
left." 

"  I'll  take  the  one  close  to  the  tree,"  whispered 
the  senator's  son. 

"  And  I'll  take  the  one  by  the  big  rock,"  added 
Phil. 

"  All  right,"  agreed  the  cowboy.  "  Now,  re- 
member, if  some  are  only  wounded,  shoot  at  'em 
again,  any  one  of  you.  And  be  quick,  for  they'll 
streak  it  like  greased  lightning  as  soon  as  the 
guns  go  off." 

All  took  aim  with  care,  resting  their  gun-barrels 
on  the  bushes  before  them.  Then  the  cowboy 
gave  the  order  to  fire. 

As  if  by  instinct  the  deer  looked  up  just  as  the 
order  to  fire  was  given.  They  were  fairly  close 
to  hand  and  afforded  good  targets  for  the  hunters. 
The  firearms  rang  out  almost  simultaneously,  and 
two  of  the  deer  leaped  into  the  air,  to  fall  back 
dead.  The  others  started  to  run,  some  jumping 
from  the  top  of  the  cliff  to  the  rocks  far  below. 
Again  the  weapons  were  discharged,  and  this  time 
a  third  deer  fell.  The  fourth  was  badly  wounded 
and  toppled  down  in  a  split  of  the  cliff. 

"  Hurrah!  we've  got  'em!     We've  got  'em!" 


262   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

cried  Phil,  and  commenced  to  leap  about  in  pure 
joy. 

"  We've  got  'em — to  get!  "  answered  Sid  Todd. 
"  But  you  did  well — all  of  you!  "  he  added,  ad- 
miringly. 

"  How  are  we  to  get  down  to  the  cliff?  "  ques- 
tioned Roger,  anxiously. 

"  The  deer  got  down — we  had  better  follow 
their  trail,"  answered  Dave. 

They  made  an  examination,  and  presently  found 
a  run  leading  to  one  end  of  the  cliff.  The  walk- 
ing was  dangerous  and  they  had  to  be  careful,  for 
fear  of  going  further  than  intended.  But  inside 
of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  all  were  standing  where 
the  deer  had  stood.  They  found  three  of  the  game 
dead  and  quickly  put  the  fourth  out  of  its  misery. 

"  This  is  worth  coming  for,"  declared  Dave, 
with  pride. 

"  It  is  indeed — even  if  we  don't  get  anything 
else,"  added  Phil. 

"  But  we  are  going  to  get  more,"  cried  Roger, 
the  fever  of  the  hunter  taking  possession  of  him. 
"  Just  wait  till  we  strike  an  elk,  or  a  bear!  " 

"  No  more  hunting  this  day,"  sang  out  Todd. 
"  Time  we  take  care  of  these  animals  and  make 
a  camp  it  will  be  dark." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  MOUNTAIN  LION 

"  WHAT  are  we  to  do  with  so  much  venison?  " 
questioned  the  senator's  son.  "  We  can't  eat  it, 
and  it  seems  a  shame  to  allow  it  to  go  to 
waste." 

"  I  wish  we  could  send  some  to  the  ranch,"  said 
Dave.  "  I'd  like  the  girls  to  know  how  lucky  we 
have  been  the  first  day  out." 

"  If  you  wanted  to  stay  here  and  camp  for  a 
day,  I  could  take  some  of  the  game  to  the  ranch," 
said  Sid  Todd. 

"  But  it  is  such  a  ride,"  argued  Phil.  "  We 
don't  want  to  impose  on  good  nature." 

"  I  won't  mind  the  ride.  But  can  you  boys  take 
care  of  yourselves  while  I  am  gone?  " 

*  To  be  sure  we  can,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Then  I'll  take  three  of  the  deer  with  me  and 
come  back  as  soon  as  I  can.  One  deer  will  be  all 
you  will  need,"  answered  Sid  Todd. 

To  get  the  deer  from  the  cliff  they  had  to  use 
a  long  lariat  the  cowboy  had  brought  with  him. 
By  this  means  the  game  was  hoisted  to  the  hilltop. 

263 


264   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Then  they  "toted"  their  loads  down  to  where 
they  had  left  their  horses. 

"  I'll  take  two  of  the  hosses,  if  you  don't  mind," 
said  the  cowboy,  and  it  was  agreed  that  he  should 
take  Dave's  animal  along  with  his  own.  He  de- 
cided to  start  for  the  ranch  that  night,  stating 
he  would  camp  at  the  spot  where  they  had  had 
dinner. 

The  boys  found  a  locality  that  pleased  them,  and 
there  erected  the  tent  and  started  a  campfire. 
The  frying-pan  had  been  recovered  from  where  it 
had  landed  and  restored  to  the  outfit.  Before  leav- 
ing them,  Todd  showed  the  boys  how  to  skin  the 
deer  and  cut  up  the  meat. 

For  a  little  while  after  they  were  left  alone 
the  chums  felt  somewhat  lonely.  They  piled  the 
wood  on  the  fire,  thereby  creating  a  lively  blaze, 
and  fixed  themselves  a  substantial  meal  of  veni- 
son steak,  flapjacks  and  coffee,  and  took  their  time 
over  the  repast.  By  the  time  they  had  finished, 
night  had  fallen  over  the  hills  and  mountains,  and 
one  by  one  the  stars  showed  themselves  in  the 
heavens. 

"  This  certainly  is  Lonesomehurst !  "  was  the 
comment  of  the  shipowner's  son,  as  he  gazed 
around  the  camp.  "  When  you  really  get  to  think 
of  it,  it  gives  one  the  shivers !  " 

"Then  don't  think  about  it,"  answered  Dave. 
"  Let  us  be  cheerful  and  tell  ghost  stories.  I  know 


THE  MOUNTAIN  LION  265 

a  dandy  story — about  four  travelers  who  were  mur- 
dered in  some  lonely  mountains  by  brigands, 
and " 

"You  shut  up!"  cried  Roger.  "Don't  you 
want  a  fellow  to  sleep  to-night?  " 

"  But  I  thought  you  wanted  me  to  tell  a  story," 
went  on  Dave,  innocently. 

"  I  don't  want  to  listen  to  such  a  story  as  that !  " 

"  Nor  do  I !  "  added  Phil.  "  Let's  talk  about 
schooldays,  and  the  last  game  of  football,  or  base- 
ball, or  something  like  that." 

"  If  only  the  other  fellows  were  here,"  mur- 
mured Dave.  "  Shadow  Hamilton,  and  Buster 
Beggs,  and  Polly  Vane,  and  Luke  Watson, 
and " 

"  Luke  could  give  us  a  tune  on  his  banjo,"  put 
in  the  senator's  son. 

"  Yes,  and  Shadow  would  tell  funny  stories, 
not  ghost  stories,"  added  Phil. 

"  We'll  have  a  story  or  two  to  tell,  when  we 
get  back  to  Oak  Hall,"  continued  Dave.  "  I  wish 
we  could  have  had  one  of  the  deer  stuffed  for 
the  museum." 

'*  Too  late  now.  But  maybe  we'll  get  another," 
answered  Phil. 

All  of  the  boys  were  tired,  yet  it  was  nearly 
ten  o'clock  before  any  of  them  felt  like  turning 
in.  As  the  night  wore  on.  the  place  seemed  to 
become  more  lonely. 


266   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Might  as  well  go  to  bed,"  said  Dave,  at  last. 
"  We  need  a  good  rest." 

"  Anybody  going  to  stay  on  guard?  "  asked  the 
senator's  son. 

"  Do  you  think  it  necessary,  Roger?  " 

"  I  don't  know." 

"What  do  you  say,  Phil?" 

"  I  am  too  sleepy  now  to  remain  on  guard," 
answered  Phil.  "  You  can  do  so  if  you 
wish." 

"Oh,  what  cheek !"  murmured  Roger.  "  All 
right,  we'll  all  turn  in  and  chance  it." 

"  Let's  fix  the  fire  first,"  said  Dave.  "  A  blaze 
usually  helps  to  keep  away  wild  beasts." 

"  Oh,  if  any  come,  I  reckon  the  horses  will 
give  us  warning,"  said  Phil.  "  We  can  tie  them 
close  by."  And  this  plan  was  carried  out. 

Some  cedar  boughs  had  been  strewn  on  the  floor 
of  the  tent,  and  on  these  the  chums  laid  down, 
and  did  their  best  to  go  to  sleep.  Dave  dropped 
off  first,  and  was  presently  followed  by  Roger. 
But  Phil  was  restless  and  turned  from  one  side  to 
the  other. 

"  Oh,  pshaw!  why  can't  I  sleep?"  murmured 
the  shipowner's  son  to  himself  in  disgust,  and  then 
out  of  curiosity  he  looked  at  his  watch.  By  the 
glare  from  the  campfire  he  saw  that  it  was  nearly 
one  o'clock. 

He  was  just  straightening  out  again  when  a 


THE  MOUNTAIN  LION  267 

peculiar  rustling  among  the  horses  caught  his  ears. 
He  listened  for  a  moment,  then  sat  up  straight. 

"  Something  doesn't  suit  them,"  he  reasoned. 
"  Wonder  what  it  can  be?  " 

He  hesitated,  then  turned  over  on  his  hands  and 
knees  and  crawled  to  the  opening  of  the  tent  and 
peered  around  outside.  The  campfire  had  burned 
rather  low,  so  that  objects  a  short  distance  away 
were  indistinct.  He  saw  that  the  horses  were 
huddled  together  and  had  their  heads  turned  to- 
ward a  clump  of  bushes  at  one  side  of  the  shelter. 

"  Something  must  be  over  yonder,"  reasoned  the 
youth.  "  Wonder  if  I  had  better  arouse  the 
others?" 

He  looked  at  Dave  and  Roger.  Both  were 
sleeping  so  peacefully  Phil  hated  to  disturb  them. 
He  reached  for  his  gun  and  looked  out  again. 

There  was  a  brushing  aside  of  the  clump  of 
bushes  and  a  pair  of  eyes  glared  forth,  glistening 
brightly  in  the  firelight.  The  eyes  were  those  of 
some  wild  beast,  but  what,  Phil  could  not  tell. 

The  animal  was  not  looking  at  Phil,  but  at  the 
carcass  of  the  deer,  which  had  been  hung  up  in 
a  low  tree  not  far  from  the  clump  of  bushes. 
Stealthily  the  animal  came  into  the  opening,  and 
with  the  ease  of  a  cat,  leaped  into  the  tree. 

"  It's  a  wildcat — or  something  like  it,"  thought 
Phil,  and  raised  his  gun  to  fire.  Then  of  a  sudden 
he  commenced  to  shake  from  head  to  foot,  so  that 


268   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

to  aim  was  entirely  out  of  the  question.  He  had 
what  is  commonly  called  among  hunters  "  buck 
fever,"  a  sudden  fear  that  often  overtakes  amateur 
hunters  when  trying  to  shoot  at  big  game. 

"  Oh,  what  a  fool  I  am !  "  the  boy  told  himself, 
and  tried  vainly  to  steady  his  nerves.  He  hit  the 
front  tent  pole  with  his  foot,  making  considerable 
noise. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  cried  Dave,  waking  and 
leaping  to  his  feet.  "  What  are  you  doing,  Phil?  " 

"  Noth — nothing,"  stammered  the  shipowner's 
son.  "I — I — there  is  something  in  the  tree!" 
And  then,  raising  his  gun,  Phil  banged  away 
blindly. 

The  echo  of  the  shot  was  followed  by  an  un- 
earthly scream  from  the  tree,  and  Phil  and  Dave 
saw  the  wild  animal  slip  down  from  a  branch  and 
then  try  to  regain  its  footing.  Then  Dave  caught 
up  one  of  the  rifles  and  blazed  away,  and  the  beast 
dropped  to  the  ground,  where  it  twisted  and  snarled 
and  yelped  in  a  fashion  that  served  to  drive  the 
horses  frantic. 

'*  What's  going  on?  "  cried  Roger,  sitting  up  and 
rubbing  his  eyes.  "  Who  is  shooting?  "  And  he 
got  up  and  felt  around  in  a  haphazard  mannefr  for 
a  gun. 

"  Wild  animal  outside — I  don't  know  what  it  is," 
answered  Dave. 

Roger  joined  the  others,  and  blazed  away  at 


THE  MOUNTAIN  LION  269 

the  beast,  and  more  snapping  and  snarling  fol- 
lowed. The  animal  rolled  clear  over  the  fire, 
scattering  the  burning  brands  in  all  directions. 
Then  it  rolled  among  the  horses.  One  steed  after 
another  kicked  at  it,  and  a  flying  hoof  sent  it 
against  the  tree  with  a  thud.  Then  it  lay  quiet. 

"  Must  be  dead/1  said  Dave,  after  a  pause. 

"  Don't  go  near  it!  "  screamed  Phil. 

"  I  won't — not  yet,"  answered  Dave.  "  We'll 
fix  up  the  fire  first."  And  he  kicked  the  dying 
embers  together  and  put  more  wood  on  the  blaze. 
While  he  did  this,  Phil  and  Roger  watched  the 
huddled-up  form  at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  The 
horses  still  snorted  and  did  their  best  to  get  away. 

"  I  guess  it  is  dead  after  all,"  said  Phil,  after 
he  had  poked  the  beast  with  a  stick.  "  Wonder 
what  it  can  be?  " 

"  Looks  a  little  like  a  big  wildcat,"  said  Roger. 

"  I  know  what  it  is,"  answered  Dave,  after  all 
were  certain  the  beast  was  dead  and  they  had 
dragged  it  over  to  the  fire.  "  It's  a  cougar,  or 
mountain  lion, — one  of  the  worst  wild  beasts  to 
be  found  in  the  West." 

"  Then  it's  no  wonder  I  got  scared  when  first 
I  saw  it,"  said  Phil.  "  My,  what  a  powerful  ani- 
mal! And  it  must  weigh  fifty  or  sixty  pounds." 

"  All  of  that,  Phil. 

"  Is  this  the  beast  some  call  a  panther  or 
painter?  "  asked  Roger. 


270   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

1  Yes,  Roger.  I  was  reading  about  them  in  a 
natural  history,  and  the  cougar,  mountain  lion, 
puma,  panther,  and  painter  are  all  the  same  beast. 
Years  ago  they  were  common  all  over  the  United 
States,  but  now  they  are  to  be  found  only  in  the 
Far  West  and  in  the  South.  I  think  we  can  count 
it  a  big  feather  in  our  cap  that  we  killed  a 
cougar." 

"Do  you  think  he  was  going  to  attack  us?" 
asked  the  senator's  son,  with  a  shiver. 

"  He  was  after  the  deer.  But  there  is  no  telling 
what  he  might  have  done.  I  am  glad  he  is  dead. 
Phil,  it  was  lucky  you  heard  the  beast." 

;<  Talk  about  excitement !  "  cried  the  shipowner's 
son.  "  I  rather  think  we  are  getting  it !  Rattle- 
snakes, deer,  and  a  panther,  all  in  one  day  and 
night !  " 

"  That  is  certainly  piling  it  on  some,"  admitted 
Dave.  "  But  to-morrow  may  pass  without  a  thing 
doing." 

"  More  than  likely,"  returned  Roger.  "  Things 
always  happen  in  bunches,  you  know." 

The  boys  examined  the  cougar  with  interest.  It 
was  about  four  and  a  half  feet  in  length  and  not 
unlike  a  young  lion  in  appearance.  It  had  been 
hit  in  the  face  and  in  the  forelegs,  and  had  died 
hard.  Evidently  it  had  hoped  to  carry  off  the 
slain  deer  while  the  young  hunters  slept. 

"  A  cougar  has  been  known  to  carry  off  a  little 


THE  MOUNTAIN  LION  271 

child,"  said  Dave.  "  They  are  very  crafty  as  well 
as  brave,  and  will  attack  both  a  horse  and  a  man. 
I  think  we  can  count  ourselves  lucky  to  come  out 
of  this  fight  without  a  scratch." 

"  No  more  sleeping  for  me  without  a  guard," 
said  Roger.  "  Let  us  take  turns  at  staying  up  and 
looking  after  the  fire  and  the  horses."  And  to 
this  the  others  readily  agreed. 

Morning  found  them  still  tired  out  and  willing 
enough  to  rest.  They  got  a  late  breakfast  and 
tethered  the  horses  in  a  new  spot,  and  cut  sufficient 
firewood  to  last  for  twenty-four  hours.  Nobody 
thought  of  doing  anything  until  after  lunch,  and 
then  Roger  suggested  they  try  their  hand  at  fish- 
ing in  a  mountain  brook  which  ran  down  between 
the  two  hills. 

"  All  right,"  answered  Dave.  "  But  do  you 
think  we  ought  to  leave  the  camp  all  alone?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  anybody  will  hurt  it  in  the 
daylight,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 

They  had  to  tramp  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to 
reach  the  stream  and  then  an  equal  distance  to  gain 
a  spot  that  looked  suited  to  their  purpose.  Phil 
was  the  first  to  throw  in,  and  was  rewarded  almost 
immediately  by  a  bite. 

"  This  looks  as  if  it  was  worth  while,"  said 
Dave,  and  baited  up.  Fish  were  there  in  plenty, 
and  for  an  hour  the  boys  amused  themselves  to 
their  hearts'  content.  By  that  time  each  had  a 


272   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

string  of  fifteen  to  twenty  mountain  brook  trout 
of  fair  size. 

"  We'll  have  a  dandy  fish  supper!  "  cried  Roger, 
smacking  his  lips. 

"  It  will  be  a  change  from  the  venison,  and 
I'll  be  glad  of  it,"  returned  Dave. 

"  I  am  going  to  try  my  luck  for  a  short  while 
up  the  stream,"  called  out  Phil,  who  was  some 
distance  away  from  the  others. 

"  Don't  go  too  far,"  said  Dave.  "  I  am  go- 
ing to  rest  here,"  and  he  threw  himself  on  the 
grass,  and  Roger  followed  his  example. 

The  two  boys  left  behind  rested  for  the  best 
part  of  half  an  hour.  Then,  thinking  it  was  time 
for  Phil  to  rejoin  them,  they  called  their  chum's 
name. 

No  answer  came  back,  and,  walking  up  the 
stream  a  short  distance,  Dave  repeated  the  call. 
Still  there  was  no  reply. 

"  That's  queer,"  he  told  Roger.  "I  wonder 
why  he  doesn't  reply?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  the  senator's 
son.  "  Let  us  look  for  him."  And  both  started 
after  Phil,  wondering  what  could  be  wrong. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

UP  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN  TOP 

DAVE  and  Roger  walked  up  the  stream  a  dis- 
tance of  several  hundred  yards.  They  continued 
to  call  Phil's  name,  but  as  before,  no  answer  came 
back. 

"  I  must  confess,  Roger,  I  don't  like  the  looks 
of  things,"  said  Dave,  gravely.  "  If  Phil  was 
all  right,  he'd  surely  answer  us." 

"  I  think  so  myself,  Dave — unless  he  was  only 
fooling  us." 

"  I  don't  think  he'd  do  that,  under  the  circum- 
stances. He'd  know  we  would  be  greatly  wor- 
ried." 

On  walked  the  two  chums,  until  they  reached  a 
point  where  the  mountain  stream  came  tumbling 
over  some  great  rocks.  Here  they  found  Phil's 
fishing  rod  and  also  the  string  of  fish  he  had  caught. 

"  Gracious,  Dave !  Supposing  some  wild  ani- 
mal has  carried  him  off  1  "  ejaculated  the  senator's 
son. 

Dave  did  not  reply,  for  he  knew  not  what  to 
say.  He  advanced  to  the  top  of  the  rocks  and 
peered  over  on  the  other  side. 

273 


274   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"There  he  is!"  he  shouted.  "Phil!  Phil! 
Are  you  hurt  ?  "  he  called. 

Only  a  faint  moan  came  back,  and  scrambling 
up  the  rocks  beside  Dave,  Roger  saw  the  trouble. 
Phil  had  slipped  from  the  rocks  into  the  mountain 
torrent.  In  going  down  his  legs  had  caught  in  an 
opening  below,  and  there  he  was  held,  in  water 
up  to  his  knees,  while  the  water  from  some  rocks 
above  was  pouring  in  a  steady  stream  over  his  left 
shoulder. 

"  Can't  you  get  up,  Phil?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  Hel — help!  "  was  the  only  answer,  delivered 
in  such  a  low  tone  that  the  boys  on  the  rocks  could 
scarcely  hear  it. 

"  He  can't  aid  himself,  that  is  sure,"  murmured 
Dave.  "  Roger,  we  have  got  to  get  him  out  of 
that — before  that  water  pouring  over  his  shoulder 
carries  him  down  I  " 

Both  boys  looked  around  anxiously.  Phil  was 
all  of  fifteen  feet  below  them  and  there  seemed 
to  be  no  way  of  reaching  the  locality  short 
of  jumping,  and  neither  wanted  to  risk  doing 
that. 

"  If  we  only  had  a  rope,"  said  Roger. 

"  We  might  double  up  a  fishing  line,"  mused 
Dave.  Then  his  face  brighteened.  "  I  have  it — 
the  pole!" 

He  ran  back  and  speedily  brought  up  Phil's 
pole,  and  around  it  he  wound  the  line,  to  strengthen 


UP  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN  TOP         275 

it  and  hold  the  joints  together.  Then  he  leaned 
down. 

"  Phil,  can  you  take  hold?  "  he  questioned. 

The  youth  below  raised  his  hands  feebly.  But 
his  strength  was  apparently  gone,  and  he  could  do 
little  to  save  himself. 

"Hold  the  pole,  Dave,  I'll  go  down!"  cried 
Roger.  "  But  don't  let  me  slip!  " 

While  Dave  braced  himself  on  the  rocks  as  best 
he  could  and  gripped  the  pole  and  line,  the  senator's 
son  went  over  the  rocks  and  down,  hand  over 
hand.  This  was  easy,  and  in  a  minute  he.  stood 
beside  Phil  in  the  water.  The  torrent  from  above 
poured  over  his  back,  but  to  this  he  paid  no  atten- 
tion. He  saw  that  Phil  was  on  the  point  of  faint- 
ing, and  if  he  sank  down  he  would  surely  be 
drowned. 

Letting  go  his  hold  on  the  fishing  pole,  Roger 
felt  down  in  the  water,  and  then  discovered  that 
Phil's  feet  were  crossed  and  held  by  a  rock  that 
was  balanced  on  another  rock.  In  coming  down, 
Phil's  weight  had  caused  the  space  between  the 
two  rocks  to  widen,  then  the  opening  had  partly 
closed,  holding  the  feet  as  if  in  the  jaws  of  some 
big  animal. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  for  Roger  to  shift  the 
upper  rock,  and  once  he  slipped  and  went  flat  on 
his  back  in  the  water  with  a  loud  splash. 

"Be    careful!"    warned    Dave    from    above. 


276   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Maybe  I  had  better  come  down  and  help  you," 
he  added. 

"  No,  I— I'm  all  ri— right !  "  spluttered  the 
senator's  son,  freeing  his  mouth  of  water. 

At  last  one  of  the  rocks  was  moved  and  Phil 
staggered  forward  in  the  water.  But  he  was 
too  weak  to  help  himself  and  had  to  lean  on 
Roger. 

"  You  can't  pull  us  up !  "  shouted  the  senator's 
son.  "  We'll  wade  down  the  stream  a  bit." 

Supporting  the  shipowner's  son,  Roger  com- 
menced to  move  down  the  mountain  torrent.  He 
had  to  pick  his  way  with  care,  for  the  bottom 
was  rocky  and  treacherous.  Dave  followed  along 
the  rocks  above,  until  a  spot  was  gained  where  he 
could  leap  down.  Then  he  and  the  senator's  son 
picked  up  Phil  between  them  and  carried  him  out, 
and  up  to  a  patch  of  grass,  where  they  set  the 
sufferer  down  in  the  sunlight. 

"  We'll  take  off  his  shoes  and  see  how  his  feet 
and  ankles  look,"  said  Dave,  and  this  was  done. 
They  found  the  feet  and  ankles  slightly  swollen 
and  discolored,  but  not  seriously  injured. 

"  Phil,  supposing  Roger  and  I  carry  you  back  to 
camp  ?  "  suggested  Dave.  "  We  can  make  an  arm- 
chair and  do  it  easily  enough." 

"  If  it  isn't  too  much  trouble  I'd  be  glad  to  have 
you  do  it,"  answered  the  boy  who  had  slipped  over 
the  rocks.  "  I  can't  walk  yet." 


UP  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN  TOP         277 

The  chums  had  often  carried  each  other  "  arm- 
chair fashion  "  while  at  school,  and  soon  Dave  and 
Roger  started  off  with  Phil  between  them,  and 
carrying  the  fishing  pole  and  fish.  On  the  way 
they  rested  several  times  and  also  gathered  up  their 
own  outfits  and  catches. 

Arriving  at  the  camp,  the  fire  was  stirred  up,  and 
the  lads  hung  up  the  most  of  their  clothing  to  dry, 
while  they  took  a  good  rubbing-down.  Phil's  feet 
and  ankles  were  bathed  in  hot  water  and  then 
soaked  in  some  liniment  Mrs.  Endicott  had  made 
them  bring  along  in  case  of  accident.  The  injured 
lad  was  content  to  rest  on  a  bed  of  cedar  boughs, 
but  declared  that  he  would  be  as  well  as  ever  in  the 
morning. 

"  But  I  am  mighty  glad  you  came  when  you 
did,"  he  said,  with  deep  feeling.  "  I  could  not 
have  held  up  much  longer — with  that  stream  of 
water  rushing  down  over  my  shoulder.  I  yelled 
and  yelled,  until  I  couldn't  yell  any  longer." 

"  That  must  have  been  before  we  started  to  look 
for  you,"  returned  Dave.  "  After  this  you  want 
to  be  careful  how  you  climb  around.  Some  of 
the  rocks  are  loose  and  very  treacherous." 

Dave  and  Roger  prepared  a  fine  supper  of 
broiled  fish,  and  to  this  meal  even  Phil  did  full 
justice.  As  there  was  nothing  else  to  do,  the  boys 
took  their  time  eating.  They  had  almost  finished 
when  they  heard  a  shout  from  a  distance. 


278   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"What's  that?"  cried  Roger,  and  instinctively 
he  leaped  up  and  moved  for  his  gun. 

"It's  Todd!"  answered  Dave.  "Hello, 
Todd !  "  he  yelled.  "  This  way !  " 

The  others  joined  in  the  cry,  which  was  answered 
from  a  distance,  and  presently  the  cowboy  ap- 
peared on  his  horse  and  leading  Dave's  animal. 

"  I  reckon  I'm  just  in  time  for  a  fish  supper !  " 
he  cried,  with  a  broad  smile  on  his  face.  "  Well, 
I'm  hungry  enough,  with  such  a  stiff  ride.  What's 
the  matter  with  your  feet?  "  he  questioned,  gazing 
at  Phil's  bandages. 

The  boys  told  the  story  of  the  trouble  up  the 
stream,  and  then  related  how  they  had  shot  the 
cougar,  and  exhibited  the  body  of  the  slain  beast. 
In  the  meantime  they  broiled  some  more  fish,  and 
made  an  extra  pot  of  coffee  and  some  flapjacks 
for  the  newcomer. 

"Well!  well!  well!  "  cried  Sid  Todd,  after  a 
look  at  the  dead  cougar.  "  I  reckon  you  youngsters 
know  how  to  take  care  of  yourselves.  A  moun- 
tain lion!  Why,  don't  you  know,  most  o' 
the  cowboys  would  run  a  mile  if  they  see 
that  beast  a-lookin'  at '  em  ?  Such  shootin'  is 
great!" 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  to  meet  any  more  of 
them,"  answered  Dave. 

"  No,  the  rest  of  them  can  keep  their  distance," 
added  Phil. 


UP  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN  TOP         279 

"  Did  you  get  the  deer  home  all  right?  "  ques- 
tioned Roger. 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  the  folks  were  a  good  deal  sur- 
prised and  pleased.  The  girls  are  going  to  have 
one  of  the  deer  stuffed  and  mounted,  for  the 
Wadsworth  home.  They  said  it  would  please  Mr. 
Wadsworth  and  Professor — let  me  see — I  reckon 
it's  Professor  Pans." 

"  No,  Professor  Potts,"  said  Dave. 

u  Well,  I  knew  it  had  something  to  do  with 
cookin'-things,"  answered  the  cowboy.  "  Mr. 
Endicott  told  me  to  be  careful  and  tell  you  not  to 
shoot  everything  there  was  in  the  mountains,  as  he 
wanted  to  come  out  later  for  a  shot  or  two." 

"  I  guess  there  will  be  enough  left  after  we  get 
through,"  said  Dave,  with  a  smile. 

The  cowboy  had  had  a  hard  ride  and  he  was 
willing  enough  to  eat  his  supper  in  peace.  Then 
he  smoked  a  pipe  of  tobacco  and  turned  in.  He 
said  the  boys  could  keep  a  guard  if  they  wished, 
but  he  scarcely  deemed  it  necessary. 

'*  Won't  another  mountain  lion,  or  anything  else, 
come  around  in  a  year,"  said  he.  "  That  jest  hap- 
pened that  way,  that's  all."  And  after  some  talk 
among  themselves  the  chums  concluded  to  turn  in, 
all  hands,  and  let  the  camp  and  the  horses  take 
care  of  themselves. 

The  night  passed  quietly  and  all  slept  until  the 
sun  was  well  up  in  the  heavens.  Then,  while  the 


28o   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

boys  prepared  breakfast  and  Phil  attended  to  his 
bruised  feet — which  felt  much  better — Sid  Todd 
told  of  some  happenings  at  the  ranch. 

"  The  girls  went  out  for  a  horseback  ride,  along 
with  Mrs.  Endicott,"  said  he,  "  and,  coming  back, 
they  met  Link  Merwell.  They  said  he  acted  so 
disagreeable  that  they  were  afraid  of  him.  Mrs. 
Endicott  was  very  angry,  and  I  think  the  boss  will 
speak  to  Mr.  Merwell  about  it." 

"  Link  ought  to  be  hammered  good  and  hard !  " 
cried  Roger. 

"  The  boss  wishes  the  Merwells  would  sell  out. 
But  Mr.  Merwell  doesn't  seem  to  want  to  budge. 
The  girls  were  so  afraid  of  Link  they  said  they 
wouldn't  go  out  again  unless  Mr.  Endicott  was 
along,"  continued  the  cowboy. 

"  If  he  molests  the  girls,  he'll  have  another 
account  to  settle  with  me!  "  cried  Dave. 

"  And  me !  "  came  promptly  from  his  chums. 

"  He  wanted  to  know  where  you  fellows  were, 
and  said  he  was  going  out  hunting  himself." 

"  He  needn't  come  near  us,"  cried  the  senator's 
son.  "  We  don't  want  him." 

"  Oh,  he  won't  come  near  us — unless  to  make 
trouble,  you  may  be  sure  of  that,"  answered  Dave. 

The  cowboy  had  left  word  at  Star  Ranch  that 
the  young  hunters  might  remain  out  longer  than 
originally  intended,  so  the  chums  did  not  worry 
about  getting  back.  All  rested  during  the  morn- 


UP  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN  TOP         281 

ing,  and  after  dinner  started  on  the  trail  up  into 
the  mountains. 

"  How  is  it,  Phil?  "  asked  Dave,  on  the  way. 

"  Oh,  I  can  ride  very  well,'*  was  the  reply. 
"  But  I  am  rather  glad  I  haven't  much  walk- 
ing to  do.  But  I  think  I'll  be  O.K.  by 


to-morrow." 


Sid  Todd  had  been  right  about  the  climbing  to 
be  done  during  the  last  stage  of  the  journey,  and 
often  the  boys,  as  they  looked  ahead  at  the  rocks 
before  them,  wondered  how  they  were  going  to 
make  progress.  But  the  cowboy  knew  the  trail, 
and  up  they  went,  the  scenery  every  moment  grow- 
ing wilder  and  more  impressive. 

"  This  is  an  ideal  spot  for  wild  animals,"  said 
Dave.  "  I  should  think  hunting  would  be  very 
good." 

Once  they  stopped  to  let  the  horses  rest.  They 
were  out  on  a  cliff  and  at  a  distance  Sid  Todd 
pointed  out  two  nests  perched  up  on  the  top  of 
rocky  crags.  The  nests  were  several  feet  in  diam- 
eter. 

"  What  are  they?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"  Eagles'  nests,"  was  the  answer.  "  There  are 
two  of  the  eagles  now,"  and  the  cowboy  pointed 
out  the  big  birds,  floating  lazily  around  between 
two  distant  mountain  tops. 

"  A  fellow  would  have  difficulty  in  getting  to 
those  nests,"  was  Phil's  comment. 


282   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  Eagles  usually  build  where  nobody  can  git  at 
'em,"  returned  Todd. 

"  I  shouldn't  care  to  shoot  an  eagle,"  said  Dave. 
"  Somehow,  I'd  feel  a  good  deal  as  if  I  had  shot 
at  our  flag." 

"  I  think  I'd  feel  that  way,  too,"  answered  the 
senator's  son. 

"  The  eagle  and  Old  Glory  seem  to  be  linked 
together,"  added  Phil.  "  But  I  wouldn't  mind 
catching  a  young  eagle  and  taming  him." 

1  You'd  have  your  hands  full  doing  it,"  said 
Sid  Todd.  "  I  know  a  cowboy  who  once  caught 
an  eagle,  but  the  bird  scratched  him  terribly  and 
nearly  took  off  one  of  his  ears." 

On  they  went  again,  until,  an  hour  later,  they 
gained  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Here  they  found 
a  stiff  breeze  blowing,  and  it  was  much  cooler 
than  below. 

"  I  see  some  game!  "  cried  Dave,  and  pointed 
to  a  slope  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain. 
Two  deer  were  in  view. 

Scarcely  had  Dave  spoken  when  a  shot  rang  out 
and  one  of  the  deer  jumped  as  if  hit.  The  other 
ran  off  and  disappeared  in  the  bushes.  Then, 
slowly  and  painfully,  the  second  deer  limped  away. 
A  second  shot  rent  the  air,  but  the  wounded  animal 
was  not  touched,  and  a  second  later  it  followed  its 
mate  to  cover. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

TWO  ELK  AND  A  BEAR 

"  I  GUESS  that  hunter,  whoever  he  is,  will  lose 
that  deer,"  was  Dave's  comment. 

"  He  won't  if  he  knows  how  to  follow  the  game 
up,"  answered  Sid  Todd.  "  That  deer  was  badly 
wounded,  and  game  can't  run  far  over  these  rough 
rocks/ ' 

"  Wonder  who  it  was?  "  mused  Phil. 

"  Can't  tell  that — so  many  folks  come  out  here 
to  hunt,"  answered  the  cowboy.  "  It  might  be 
some  ranchman  or  cowboy,  and  it  might  be  some 
city  sportsman  trying  his  luck." 

"  We  may  fall  in  with  him  later,"  said  Dave. 
"  If  we  do,  I  hope  he  proves  a  nice  sort." 

"  Folks  out  here  usually  hunt  on  their  own 
hook,"  said  Todd. 

The  cowboy  had  in  mind  to  pass  to  the  north  of 
the  mountain  top,  and  this  they  did,  soon  leaving 
behind  the  locality  where  the  two  deer  had  been 
seen.  They  saw  nothing  of  the  party  who  had 
fired  the  two  shots. 

"  I  hope  he  doesn't  take  us  for  game  and  shoot 
283 


284   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

this  way,"  said  Roger,  who  had  heard  of  just  such 
accidents  more  than  once. 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  to  mistake  him  for  game 
either,"  said  Dave.  "  Whenever  you  shoot,  be 
sure  of  what  you  are  shooting  at." 

"  Right  you  are,"  cried  Sid  Todd.  "  If  hunters 
weren't  too  hasty  there  wouldn't  be  any  accidents." 

A  little  over  half  a  mile  was  covered,  and  by 
that  time  the  sun  was  sinking  over  the  hills  to 
the  westward.  A  suitable  spot  was  selected  and 
the  tent  was  pitched,  and  they  prepared  a  supper 
of  fish  and  venison,  meat  and  crackers,  washing 
it  down  with  some  chocolate  that  Roger  made. 

Early  in  the  morning  Sid  Todd  left  the  camp, 
to  be  gone  the  best  part  of  two  hours.  He  came 
back  showing  his  excitement. 

"  A  chance  for  elk,  boys  I  "  he  cried.  "  But  you 
must  hurry  and  do  a  good  bit  of  tramping." 

"  Can  you  walk,  Phil?  "  asked  Dave,  anxiously. 

"  Just  as  well  as  ever,"  was  the  answer,  and 
Phil  took  a  turn  around  the  camp  to  prove  his 
words. 

No  time  was  lost  in  preparing  for  the  hunt,  and 
in  less  than  ten  minutes  all  were  off,  having  tethered 
the  horses  in  a  spot  they  deemed  safe.  Their 
provisions  they  tied  in  skins  and  hung  in  the  trees, 
so  they  might  be  safe  from  wild  marauders. 

It  was  a  hard  climb,  over  the  rocks  and  among 
the  bushes,  and  once  the  boys  had  to  call  a  halt, 


TWO  ELK  AND  A  BEAR  285 

to  catch  their  breath.  But  Todd  was  afraid  the 
elk  would  take  themselves  off,  so  he  urged  them  on 
as  much  as  possible. 

"  There  were  two  elk,  big  fellows,  too,"  he  said. 
"  If  we  don't  bag  at  least  one  of  'em,  we  may  not 
get  another  such  chance  all  the  time  we  are  out 
here." 

Presently  they  came  to  something  of  a  hollow 
on  the  mountain  side.  Here  was  a  fine  spring  of 
sparkling  water,  and  all  stopped  long  enough  to 
get  a  refreshing  drink.  It  was  hot  in  the  sun  and 
all  were  beginning  to  perspire  freely. 

"If  we  get  those  elk  we'll  earn  'em,"  was 
Roger's  comment. 

"  Right  you  are!  "  panted  Phil. 

"How  much  further  have  we  to  go?"  ques- 
tioned Dave. 

"  Not  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile,"  answered  the 
cowboy.  He  was  still  in  the  lead  and  he  had  his 
eyes  on  the  alert  for  the  first  glimpse  at  the  big 
game. 

The  boys  were  pretty  well  winded  when  Sid 
Todd  called  a  halt.  They  had  reached  a  clump 
of  cedar  trees  and  beyond  was  an  open  spot  among 
a  number  of  loose  rocks,  with  patches  of  rich 
mountain  grass  between. 

"  Gone !  "  said  the  cowboy,  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"  Gone !  "  echoed  the  three  boys,  in  dismay. 

"  Yes,  gone.     They  were  right  out  yonder,  graz- 


286   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

ing  as  peacefully  as  could  be.     Now  I  don't  sec 
'em  anywhere,"  continued  the  cowboy,  mournfully. 

"It's  too  bad!"  murmured  Dave.  "Maybe 
you  would  have  done  better  if  you  had  fired  on 
them." 

"  I  wanted  you  lads  to  have  a  chance." 

"  Perhaps  they  are  still  in  this  vicinity,"  sug- 
gested Roger.  "  Let  us  take  a  look  around." 

The  others  were  willing,  and  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously they  made  their  way  among  the  cedars  and 
the  big  rocks,  exposing  themselves  as  little  as 
possible,  and  speaking  only  in  a  whisper.  They 
had  the  rifles  and  shotguns  ready  for  action. 

Half  an  hour's  search  took  them  to  another 
dent  in  the  mountain  side.  Here  the  grass  was 
extra  thick  and  inviting  and  a  spring  of  water 
flowed  quietly  over  the  rocks. 

"  That's  an  ideal  spot  for  a  camp,"  said  Phi). 
to  Dave,  as  they  halted  to  view  the  scene. 

Dave  did  not  answer,  for  he  had  seen  something 
moving  in  the  bushes  close  to  the  water.  He 
pointed  in  silence,  and  all  gazed  in  the  direction. 
Slowly  a  magnificent  pair  of  antlers  arose  behind 
the  bushes. 

"  One  of  the  elk!  "  whispered  Sid  Todd. 

"And  there  is  the  other!  "  came  from  Roger, 
and  pointed  to  a  rock  twenty  yards  beyond  the 
bushes. 

"  Now,  boys,  be  careful,"  directed  the  cowboy. 


TWO  ELK  AND  A  BEAR  287 

"  This  is  the  chance  of  your  lives.  Divide  up  the 
game  to  suit  yourselves.  I  won't  shoot  unless  I 
see  the  elk  getting  away  from  you." 

The  chums  consulted  among  themselves,  and 
Roger  and  Phil  decided  to  aim  at  the  elk  nearest  to 
them. 

"  Then  I'll  aim  at  the  elk  near  the  rock,"  said 
Dave.  "  I  think  I've  got  the  best  rifle  anyway," 
he  added. 

All  crawled  forward,  followed  by  Todd,  and 
thus  covered  half  the  distance  toward  the  game. 
The  nearest  elk  was  now  less  than  a  hundred  yards 
away. 

"  They  see  us !  "  cried  Phil,  and  hastily  raised 
his  firearm,  and  the  others  did  the  same.  Then, 
as  the  elk  bounded  away,  all  three  of  the  young 
hunters  fired. 

Both  the  animals  were  hit,  but  neither  mortally, 
and  as  soon  as  possible  the  boys  fired  a  second 
time.  The  elk  were  now  together,  and  a  bullet 
and  some  shot  meant  for  one  hit  the  other.  One 
of  the  animals  staggered  and  fell,  got  up,  and 
staggered  again,  coming  down  on  the  rocks  with 
a  loud  thud. 

"  You've  got  this  one !  "  cried  Sid  Todd,  in 
triumph.  "  Go  after  the  other!  " 

The  boys  were  not  loath  to  do  this,  and  away 
they  went  pell-mell,  over  the  grass  and  around  the 
rocks  and  bushes.  The  second  elk  was  limping 


288   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

along,  occasionally  holding  his  left  hind  leg  in  the 
air.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  going  fast,  but  he 
dodged  in  and  out  among  the  rocks  so  quickly  that 
to  get  another  shot  at  him  seemed  impossible. 

"  If  we  can  only  get  him  into  the  open  we'll 
have  him !  "  cried  Dave. 

The  trail  now  led  down  the  mountain  side  and 
then  into  a  thicket  of  cedars.  As  they  entered  the 
thicket,  Dave  gave  a  yelL 

"Look  out!" 

He  leaped  to  one  side  and  the  other  lads  did 
the  same.  A  second  later  the  wounded  elk  rushed 
almost  on  them,  his  antlers  lowered  as  if  to  crush 
all  in  his  path.  The  boys  fired  as  quickly  as  they 
could,  and  hit  in  the  side,  the  animal  swerved  and 
dashed  off  at  a  right  angle  to  the  course  he  had 
been  pursuing. 

"  Phew !  but  that  was  a  narrow  escape !  "  gasped 
Phil. 

"  It's  different  when  the  game  hunts  you,  isn't 
it?  "  queried  the  senator's  son. 

"  We  must  keep  our  eyes  open,  and  our  guns 
ready,"  said  Dave.  "  Come  ahead,  that  elk  must 
be  pretty  hard  hit  by  this  time." 

Again  they  went  on.  They  could  hear  the  big 
game  crashing  among  the  cedars.  Evidently  the 
elk  was  in  such  pain  he  did  not  know  where  to  go. 

"  I  see  him !  "  cried  Dave  five  minutes  later,  and 
pointed  to  a  rocky  elevation  ahead.  At  the  foot 


TWO  ELK  AND  A  BEAR  289 

of  the  rocks  stood  the  elk,  glaring  in  rage  at  them. 
All  of  the  young  hunters  elevated  their  firearms, 
and  as  they  did  this  the  big  game  charged  them 
full  tilt. 

Crack !  bang !  crack !  went  the  weapons,  and  the 
elk  was  halted  in  his  course.  He  tried  to  come  on, 
but  in  vain,  and  slowly  swayed  from  side  to  side. 
Then  he  tried  to  retreat,  but  it  was  too  late.  With 
a  snort  he  went  over,  kicking  up  big  clods  of  grass 
as  he  did  so.  Then  he  gave  a  shiver  and  breathed 
his  last. 

"  We've  got  him !  We've  got  him !  "  cried 
Roger,  exultantly,  and  began  to  caper  about  in  his 
joy.  "Just  think  of  it,  Dave,  two  elk!  Isn't 
that  something  to  be  proud  of?  " 

"  I  think  so,"  answered  Dave,  his  face  beaming. 

"  I  suppose  the  other  elk  is  dead,"  said  Phil. 
"  But  we'd  better  go  back  and  make  sure." 

"  We  don't  want  to  leave  this  here,"  said  Roger, 
wistfully.  "  That  other  hunter  might  come  along 
and  claim  him." 

"  I'll  go  back  to  where  we  left  Todd,  and  you 
can  watch  this  elk,"  said  Dave.  "  I'll  ask  Todd 
what  we  had  best  do  with  both  animals." 

"  Can  you  find  the  way?  "  questioned  Phil. 

"  I  think  so." 

Reloading  his  rifle,  Dave  set  off  for  the  spot 
where  they  had  left  the  cowboy  and  the  first  elk. 
For  a  few  minutes  he  followed  the  back  trail 


2QO   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

with  ease,  then,  almost  before  he  was  aware,  he 
became  mixed  up  and  scarcely  knew  in  what  direc- 
tion to  turn. 

"  I  suppose  I  might  call  out,  or  fire  my  rifle," 
he  mused.  "  But  if  I  do  that  the  others  may  think 
I  am  in  trouble." 

Looking  around  carefully,  Dave  set  off  once 
more,  and  presently  reached  a  spot  that  looked 
familiar.  On  the  ground  he  could  see  footprints 
and  these  he  commenced  to  follow.  But  in  a  few 
minutes  he  found  himself  in  a  thicket  he  was  sure 
he  had  never  seen  before. 

"  I  am  mixed  up,  and  no  mistake,"  he  murmured, 
his  face  falling.  "  I  shouldn't  have  been  so  sure 
of  myself  at  the  start.  It  isn't  so  easy  as  one 
thinks  to  find  a  trail  among  these  rocks  and  bushes. 
I  guess  I  had  better  call  to  Todd,  and  to  the 
others." 

He  set  up  a  shout  and  waited  for  a  reply. 
None  came,  and  he  shouted  a  second  time.  Then, 
from  a  distance,  came  a  call. 

"  Well,  I  didn't  think  Todd  was  in  that  direc- 
tion," he  said  to  himself.  "  I  am  twisted  and  no 
mistake." 

Again  he  started  off,  and  this  time  found  him- 
self skirting  a  series  of  loose  rocks  of  various  sizes. 
He  was  going  down  hill  and  occasionally  loosened 
a  round  stone  with  his  foot  and  sent  it  crashing 
to  a  thicket  of  cedars  below. 


TWO  ELK  AND  A  BEAR  291 

A  hundred  yards  were  covered  when  Dave  heard 
the  cry  again.  Now  it  was  plainer,  and  it  sounded 
a  little  like  a  call  for  help. 

"  Maybe  Todd  is  in  trouble,"  he  mused.  "  Per- 
haps that  elk  got  up  and  attacked  him !  "  And 
with  this  thought  in  his  mind  he  set  off  on  a  dog- 
trot in  the  direction  of  the  voice  he  had  heard. 

It  was  dangerous  among  the  loose  stones,  and 
once  Dave  went  down  and  rolled  over  and  over, 
coming  pretty  close  to  hitting  his  face  and  shooting 
off  his  rifle.  As  he  picked  himself  up  he  heard 
a  call  quite  plainly. 

"  Help !  help !     Somebody  help  me !  " 

"It  must  be  Todd!  "  burst  from  the  youth's 
lips,  and  now,  in  spite  of  the  danger,  he  bounded 
from  rock  to  rock  down  the  slope.  The  call  came 
from  the  left,  and  thither  he  made  his  way,  halt- 
ing in  dismay  as  he  came  out  on  a  little  cliff. 

At  the  foot  of  the  cliff  he  saw  the  man  who  had 
uttered  the  call  for  aid.  It  was  Hank  Snogger. 
He  was  having  a  fierce  face-to-face  tussle  with 
a  big  bear.  His  gun  was  on  the  ground  and  so 
was  his  sombrero,  and  in  his  hand  he  held  his 
hunting  knife.  As  Dave  viewed  the  scene  in  hor- 
ror, the  bear  made  a  pass  with  one  forepaw  and 
sent  the  hunting  knife  whirling  from  the  cowboy's 
grasp.  Then  the  bear  closed  in,  as  if  to  hug 
Snogger  to  death ! 


CHAPTER  XXX 

TO  THE  RESCUE — CONCLUSION 

IT  was  a  time  for  quick  action  and  nobody 
realized  this  more  than  did  Dave,  as  he  saw  the 
shaggy  brute  close  in  on  the  cowboy.  One  squeeze 
of  those  powerful  forepaws  and  Hank  Snogger's 
ribs  would  be  crushed  in  and  he  would  be 
killed. 

With  hardly  a  second  thought  concerning  what 
he  was  doing,  Dave  raised  his  rifle,  took  quick 
aim  and  fired  at  the  bear.  Then  he  fired  a  second 
shot,  and  followed  this  up  with  a  third. 

At  the  first  shot  the  bear  dropped  his  hold  and 
swung  around,  uttering  a  loud  snort  of  pain  as 
he  did  so.  He  had  been  struck  in  the  back,  for 
the  youth  had  not  dared  to  aim  too  close  to  Snogger. 
Then,  thinking  that  he  had  been  hurt  by  the  man 
before  him,  the  animal  made  a  leap  and  sent  the 
cowboy  sprawling.  As  he  stood  over  his  victim 
the  second  shot  hit  him  in  the  hind  quarters,  causing 
him  to  whirl  around.  Then  the  third  shot  landed 
in  his  side,  and  made  him  double  up  like  a  ball  and 
roll  over  and  over. 

292 


TO  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION       293 

"Kill  him!  Kill  him!"  came  faintly  from 
Hank  Snogger.  "  Don't  let  him  git  at  me  ag'in !  " 

Dave  tried  to  fire  another  shot,  but  for  some 
reason  then  unknown  the  rifle  refused  to  work. 
The  bear  was  rolling  over  and  over  and  threatened 
each  instant  to  roll  on  the  cowboy  and  crush  him. 
Snogger  was  so  weak  he  was  unable  to  save  himself 
or  do  anything  in  his  own  defense. 

Dave  glanced  around  and  his  eye  fell  on  the 
loose  stones,  some  of  which  had  caused  him  a  fall. 
He  dropped  his  rifle,  seized  a  fair-sized  stone  and 
hurled  it  at  the  bear.  The  youth's  aim  was  good, 
and  the  missile  landed  on  bruin's  head,  all  but  stun- 
ning  him. 

"That's  it!  Gi — give  him  ano — another!" 
gasped  Hank  Snogger.  He  had  raised  himself 
up  on  one  elbow  and  was  looking  at  Dave  plead- 
ingly. He  was  too  weak  to  get  to  his  feet,  for 
his  fight  with  the  bear  had  lasted  for  some  time 
before  Dave  had  put  in  an  appearance. 

The  boy  from  Crumville  was  not  slow  to  pick 
up  and  throw  another  stone,  and  this  took  the  bear 
in  the  side,  causing  him  to  grunt  and  snort  in  pain 
and  rage.  Then  Dave  got  a  stone  of  extra  size 
and  aimed  again  for  the  animal's  head.  The 
missile  went  true,  and  with  his  skull  crushed,  bruin 
stretched  out  and  lay  still. 

"  Is  he — is  he  dead?  "  gasped  Hank  Snogger, 
hoarsely. 


294   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

"  I  think  so,"  answered  Dave.  He  was  trem- 
bling from  the  excitement  and  his  breath  came 
thick  and  fast. 

"  I— I  thought  I — I  was  done  for!  "  added  the 
cowboy,  and  sank  flat  on  his  back  and  closed  his 
eyes. 

Not  without  difficulty  Dave  got  down  to  where 
the  man  lay.  He  found  the  bear  stone  dead  and 
that  the  cowboy  had  fainted.  He  procured  some 
water  from  a  nearby  brook  and  washed  Snogger's 
face  and  soon  revived  the  man.  Then  came  a 
shout  from  a  distance  and  Sid  Todd  showed  him- 
self, having  been  attracted  to  the  spot  by  the  rifle 
shots. 

The  situation  was  explained,  and  Dave  came  in 
for  a  good  deal  of  praise  over  the  killing  of 
the  bear. 

"You  saved  my  life!"  said  Hank  Snogger. 
"  I  shan't  forget  it,  never!  "  and  he  gave  the  youth 
a  grateful  look.  "  I  fired  on  the  bear,  but  only 
hurt  him  enough  to  make  him  ugly.  I  fell  right 
over  him  while  I  was  after  a  deer  I  had  wounded 
some  time  before." 

"  Oh,  then  you  were  the  hunter  we  heard 
shoot,"  said  Todd.  "The  deer  got  away,  eh?" 

"  Yes,  I  lost  track  of  the  deer  when  I  hit  the 
bear,"  answered  the  cowboy  from  the  Merwell 
ranch.  "I'm  mighty  glad  you  came  up ! "  he 
added  to  Dave. 


TO  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION       295 

"  It's  all  right,  I  am  glad  I  did  too,"  answered 
the  youth.  "  I  was  wishing  I'd  get  a  chance  at 
a  bear."  He  saw  that  Snogger  was  deeply 
affected,  and  was  swallowing  a  lump  that  came 
up  in  his  throat. 

"And  to  think  it  was  you,  boy!  "  went  on  the 
cowboy,  feelingly.  "  You — and  after  what  I  did 
to  you!" 

"  Let  us  forget  that,  Snogger." 

"  I  ain't  going  to  forgit  it.  I  was  a  low-down 
hound,  that's  what  I  was,"  said  the  man,  with 
energy.  "  I  listened  to  what  that  Link  Merwell 
had  to  say  against  you,  and  I  planned  to  do 
you  all  the  harm  I  could, — jest  to  please  that 
fellow." 

"  Hank,  you  made  a  mistake  to  go  over  to 
Merwell,"  put  in  Sid  Todd.  "  I  don't  like  to 
hit  at  a  fellow  when  he's  hurted,  but  I've  got  to 
speak  my  mind." 

"  Well,  you  are  only  telling  the  truth,"  answered 
Snogger,  shortly.  "  I  know  it  as  well  as  you  do. 
I'm  going  to  quit  Merwell  the  first  chance  I  git." 

Dave  and  Todd  made  Snogger  as  comfortable 
as  possible,  and  the  cowboy  said  he  would  be  all 
right  after  he  got  his  wind  back.  Then  Todd 
went  off  to  locate  Roger  and  Phil  and  apprise 
them  of  what  had  occurred. 

"  Mr.  Snogger,  I'd  like  to  ask  you  a  question," 
said  Dave,  when  the  two  were  alone  and  the  man 


296   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

was  resting  comfortably  against  a  tree.  "  You 
look  very  much  like  a  boy  I  and  my  friends  met 
in  Chicago.  Do  you  know  the  lad?  His  name  is 
Charley  Gamp." 

"  Charley  Gamp !  "  exclaimed  the  man,  and 
stared  wildly  at  Dave.  "  Say,  what  do  you  know 
about  him?  " 

"  Then  you  know  him?  "  And  now  Dave  was 
deeply  interested. 

"  Do  I  know  him !     He  is  my  son !  " 

"  Your  son  ?  Then  where  did  the  name  Gamp 
come  from?  " 

"  Gamp  was  his  mother's  name  afore  she  mar- 
ried me.  Tell  me,  is  he  safe?  " 

"Yes."  And  then  Dave  related  how  he  and 
the  others  had  fallen  in  with  Charley  at  the  post- 
office. 

"  And  Link  Merwell  was  abusin'  him — callin' 
him  a  thief!  "  cried  Hank  Snogger,  and  his  eyes 
commenced  to  blaze.  "  How  did  he  dare!  Why, 
Link  Merwell  is  a  thief  himself !  " 

"A  thief!"  echoed  Dave. 

"Yes.  But  let  that  pass  now — I'll  tell  you 
later.  Tell  me  of  my  boy,  my  Charley,"  pleaded 
Hank  Snogger. 

Dave  told  all  that  he  knew,  and  the  man  listened 
eagerly.  Then  Snogger  told  something  of  his 
life's  history,  how  he  and  his  wife  had  quarreled 
and  how  some  neighbors  had  gotten  them  to  sepa- 


TO  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION       297 

rate.  He  had  drifted  to  the  West,  and  remained 
there  for  three  years.  Then  he  had  gone  back  to 
look  for  his  wife,  but  had  found  out  that  she  was 
dead.  He  could  get  no  trace  of  his  little  boy,  and 
finally  had  gone  West  again.  At  first  he  had 
carried  himself  straight,  but  presently  he  had 
gotten  in  with  the  wrong  set  and  had  drank  and 
gambled,  and  left  Mr.  Endicott  to  go  to  work 
for  Mr.  Merwell. 

"  But  I  am  going  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf,"  he 
said.  "  Only  let  me  find  my  boy !  I'll  show  him 
what  a  good  father  I  can  be  to  him !  "  And  his 
face  took  on  a  look  of  hope. 

"  And  now  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  Link 
Merwell,"  went  on  Hank  Snogger,  a  little 
later.  "  I  feel  you  ought  to  know,  for  you  are 
the  one  who  has  suffered  most  because  of  his 
doings.  You  remember  how  your  horses  were 
stolen." 

"  Yes." 

"Well,  Link  took  'em.  He  says  he  didn't 
mean  to  steal  'em,  but  that  is  what  it  amounted  to. 
He  took  'em,  and  while  the  storm  was  on  some 
cattle-thieves,  headed  by  Andy  Andrews,  came 
along.  Link  says  Andrews  and  his  gang  took  the 
horses  away,  but  I  think  Link  made  a  deal  with 
the  hoss-thieves,  for  the  next  day  I  see  Link  with 
a  roll  of  bank-bills,  and  I  know  Mr.  Merwell 
didn't  give  him  the  money.  He  had  about  two 


298   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

hundred  dollars,  and  I  think  he  got  the  wad 
from  Andrews — on  his  promise  not  to  open  his 
mouth." 

"  How  did  you  learn  this?" 

"  I  was  out,  rounding  up  some  stray  steers,  and 
I  saw  him  just  before  the  storm  with  the  hosses. 
I  wasn't  near  enough  to  talk  to  him,  but  that  night 
I  spoke  to  him,  and  he  couldn't  deny  that  he 
took  'em  in  the  first  place.  He  was  terribly  afraid 
I'd  give  him  away,  and  he  said  if  I  did  he'd  say 
I  took  'em.  Well,  you  can  believe  me  or  not,  but 
he  took  'em." 

"  I  believe  you,"  answered  Dave.  "  And  we'll 
have  this  matter  sifted  just  as  soon  as  we  return 
to  Star  Ranch." 

It  was  some  time  ere  Todd,  Roger,  and  Phil 
showed  themselves.  In  the  meantime  Dave  made 
Snogger  promise  not  to  say  anything  about  the 
stolen  horses  to  the  others. 

"  Perhaps  the  matter  can  be  fixed  up  between 
Mr.  Endicott  and  Mr.  Merwell,"  he  said.  "  It 
would  be  terrible  to  have  Link  publicly  branded 
as  a  horse-thief." 

Hank  Snogger  had  been  out  alone  and  he  read- 
ily consented  to  join  the  others  at  their  camp. 
The  two  elk  and  the  bear  were  brought  in,  and 
it  was  decided  to  start  back  for  the  ranches  the 
next  morning. 

"  I  must  see  Mr.  Endicott  on  important  busi- 


TO  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION       299 

ness,"  said  Dave  to  Sid  Todd,  and  then,  in  private, 
he  told  his  chums  what  he  had  heard  concerning 
Link  Merwell.  Todd  was  told  about  Charley 
Gamp,  and  said  he  hoped  that  the  finding  of  the 
son  would  make  a  new  man  of  Snogger. 

The  return  to  the  ranches  was  begun  at  sunrise. 
They  carried  with  them  the  skin  of  the  bear 
and  also  the  pelts  and  heads  of  the  elk.  They 
camped  that  night  in  the  foothills,  and  reached 
Star  Ranch  about  noon  the  next  day. 

"  I  want  you  to  come  with  me,"  said  Dave  to 
Hank  Snogger,  after  the  boys  had  received  a  warm 
greeting  from  the  girls  and  Mrs.  Endicott.  And 
he  led  the  way  to  Mr.  Endicott's  office,  a  small 
affair  located  in  the  ranch  home.  Here  the  cow- 
boy told  his  story  once  more,  just  as  he  had  related 
it  to  Dave. 

"  I  have  suspected  something  of  this  sort  all 
along,"  said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  One  of  our  own  men 
saw  young  Merwell  with  some  horses  on  that 
day,  but  he  was  not  sure  if  they  were  our  animals. 
Andrews  took  the  horses  up  into  Canada  and  sold 
them  at  several  places,  so  I  don't  think  Til  be  able 
to  get  them  back.  But,  if  I  can  prove  Link  guilty, 
I  shall  most  certainly  hold  his  father  responsible." 

Hank  Snogger  was  anxious  to  go  East,  to  find 
his  son,  but  was  persuaded  to  remain  where  he  was 
until  the  young  folks  should  bring  their  visit  to 
an  end.  In  the  meantime,  however,  a  telegram 


300   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

was  sent  to  Charley  and  he  sent  one  in  return, 
stating  he  would  be  glad  to  meet  his  parent. 

"  Dave,  you  can  go  with  me  to  the  Merwell 
house, "  said  Mr.  Endicott  the  next  day.  "  And 
you  can  go,  too,  Snogger." 

The  three  set  out,  and  when  within  sight  of  the 
other  ranch  home  they  caught  sight  of  Link  Mer- 
well, riding  slowly  along  on  his  pony.  He  scowled 
as  he  recognized  them. 

"What  do  you  want  here?  "  he  asked,  looking 
at  Dave. 

"  We  came  for  our  horses,"  answered  Dave, 
boldly. 

At  these  words  Link  grew  pale  and  shot  a  swift 
glance  at  Hank  Snogger.  Then,  in  a  sudden  rage, 
he  shook  his  fist  at  the  cowboy. 

"What  have  you  been  saying  about  me?"  he 
cried  angrily. 

"  Telling  the  truth,"  answered  Snogger. 

"  It's  false !  I  didn't  touch  the  horses !  "  gasped 
Link,  but  he  grew  whiter  than  ever. 

"  You  took  them,  and  you  might  as  well  con- 
fess," said  Mr.  Endicott,  sternly.  "  If  you  won't 
confess,  and  get  your  father  to  square  up,  I'll 
call  on  the  sheriff  of  this  county  to  arrest 
you." 

"  I — I — didn't  mean — that  is — I "  com- 
menced Link,  and  then  he  broke  down  completely. 
He  acknowledged  that  he  had  taken  the  horses, 


TO  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION       301 

but  said  he  did  it  in  fun.  Then  the  cattle-thieves 
had  come  along  and  taken  the  steeds  from  him. 

"  And  you  got  paid  for  letting  them  go,"  said 
Mr.  Endicott.  "  You  got  several  hundred  dollars 
from  Andrews." 

"  Who  say — says  so?  "  faltered  Link. 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  prove  it,"  answered  the 
railroad  president,  coldly. 

"  I  only  got  seventy-five  dollars !  "  shouted  Link. 
"  I — I  didn't  sell  the  horses.  Andrews  gave  me 

that  money  because — because And  then  he 

stopped  short,  not  knowing  how  to  go  on. 

"  He  gave  you  the  money  so  you  would  keep 
silent,"  said  Dave. 

"  We  have  heard  enough — come  to  the  house," 
said  Mr.  Endicott,  and  against  his  will,  Link  was 
made  to  accompany  the  others  back  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Merwell  was  met  at  the  door,  and  a  bitter 
quarrel  took  place  in  his  office,  lasting  the  best 
part  of  an  hour.  At  first  the  ranch  owner  would 
not  believe  his  son  was  guilty,  but  when  he  saw 
Link  break  down  he  had  to  give  in.  He  said  he 
would  pay  for  the  horses  that  had  been  stolen,  and 
also  pay  to  have  the  whole  matter  hushed  up. 

*  You  cannot  pay  me  for  hushing  the  matter 
up,"  said  Mr.  Endicott.  "  I  have  no  desire  to 
ruin  your  son's  future.  If  you  will  pay  for  the 
horses,  that  is  all  I  ask — that  and  one  thing  more. 
I  have  no  desire  to  live  next  door  to  a  man  who 


302   DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

has  a  son  who  is  a  horse-thief.  I  understand  that 
you  have  received  a  good  offer  for  your  ranch. 
My  advice  is  that  you  sell  out." 

"I  will!"  snapped  Mr.  Merwell.  "I'll  get 
out  just  as  soon  as  the  title  can  be  passed !  I  never 
liked  to  live  here,  anyway!  "  And  then  in  a  rage 
he  made  out  a  check  for  the  value  of  the  horses, 
handed  it  to  Mr.  Endicott,  and  showed  his  visitors 
to  the  door. 

"  Phew,  but  he  was  mad!"  was  Dave's  com- 
ment, as  the  three  rode  over  to  Star  Ranch. 

"  If  he  sells  out,  that  is  all  I  ask,"  said  Mr. 
Endicott.  It  may  be  added  here  that,  two  weeks 
later,  Mr.  Merwell  sold  his  place  and  moved  to 
parts  unknown,  taking  his  son  with  him.  The 
purchaser  of  the  ranch  proved  to  be  an  agreeable 
man,  and  he  and  Mr.  Endicott  got  along  very 
well  together. 

"  Well,  I  hope  that  is  the  last  of  Link  Mer- 
well," said  Roger,  when  he  heard  about  the  affair. 
But  it  was  net  the  last  of  the  fellow,  as  Dave,  later 
on,  found  out.  Link  crossed  his  path  again,  and 
what  happened  will  be  told  in  the  next  volume  of 
this  series,  to  be  called,  "  Dave  Porter  and  His 
Rivals;  or,  The  Chums  and  Foes  of  Oak  Hall." 
In  that  volume  we  shall  meet  all  our  old  friends 
and  learn  the  particulars  of  a  peculiar  mystery  and 
a  stirring  struggle  on  the  gridiron. 

At  last  came  the  time  to  leave   Star  Ranch. 


TO  THE  RESCUE— CONCLUSION       303 

Mr.  Dunston  Porter  arrived,  and  listened  to  the 
many  tales  the  young  folks  had  to  tell. 

"  Well,  you  certainly  have  crowded  things,"  he 
declared.  "  I  wish  I  had  been  on  that  hunt." 

Belle  was  going  East  with  Laura  and  Jessie, 
and  Snogger  accompanied  the  boys  and  Mr.  Porter. 
All  received  a  warm  send-off  at  the  railroad  station. 

"  Come  again !  "  shouted  Sid  Todd,  and  to  show 
his  spirits  fired  his  revolver  into  the  air,  and  the 
other  cowboys  did  the  same. 

At  Chicago  the  party  were  met  by  Charley 
Gamp.  Hank  Snogger  hugged  his  boy  to  his 
breast  and  wept  for  joy,  and  Charley  cried  too, 
and  so  did  the  girls.  Then  it  was  learned  that 
Snogger  was  really  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  said 
he  would  settle  down  in  the  city,  and  did  so,  and 
to-day  he  is  a  steady  workman,  and  he  and  Charley 
have  a  good  home.  The  father  is  giving  the  son 
a  good  education,  hoping  to  make  a  first-class 
business  man  of  him. 

"  Well,  all  told,  we  had  the  outing  of  our  lives," 
declared  Roger,  on  the  way  to  Crumville. 

"It  couldn't  have  been  better!"  cried  Dave. 
"  I  tell  you  what,  Star  Ranch  is  all  right !  " 

And  the  others  agreed  with  him.  And  here,  for 
the  time  being,  let  us  say  farewell. 

THE  END 


DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


"Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  seldom  introduced  a  more  popular  hero 
than  Dave  Porter.  He  is  a  typical  boy,  manly,  brave,  always  ready 
for  a  good  time  if  it  can  be  obtained  in  an  honorable  way.'*—  Wiscon* 
sin,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

"Edward  Stratemeyer 's  'Dave  Porter*  has  become  exceedingly 
popular." — Boston  Globe. 

MDave  and  his  friends  are  nice,  manly  chaps.'1—  Times- 
Democrat,  New  Orleans. 

DAVE  PORTER  AT  OAK  HALL 

Or  The  School  Days  of  an  American  Boy 
DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Stormy  Peirtl 
DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Or  Winning  the  Medal  of  Honor 
DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Or  The  Pluck  of  an  American  Schoolboy 
DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  CLASSMATES 

Or  For  the  Honor  of  Oak  Hall 
DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Or  The  Cowboy's  Secret 
DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  RIVALS 

Or  The  Chums  and  Foes  of  O&k  Hall 
DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Or  A  Schoolboy's  Mysterious  Mission 
DAVE  PORTER  AND  THE  RUNAWAYS 

Or  Last  Days  at  Oak  Hall 
DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Or  The  Search  for  the  Landslide  Mine 
DAVE  PORTER  AT  BEAR  CAMP 

Or  The  Wild  Man  of  Mirror  Lake 
DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Or  The  Disappearance  of  the  Basswood  Fortune 
DAVE  PORTER'S  GREAT  SEARCH 

Or  The  Perils  of  a  Young  Civil  Engineer 
DAVE  PORTER  UNDER  FIRE 

Or  A  Young  Army  Engineer  in  France 
DAVE  PORTER'S  WAR  HONORS 

Or  At  the  Front  with  the  Fighting  Engineers 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  cr  sent  postpaid  on  receipt 
of  price  by  the  publishers 

LothroD,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co-         Boston 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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